How Long is Death Stranding 2?

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is now out on PS5, offering a vast trek across Australia as Sam Porter Bridges works to link the continent to the Chiral Network. But how long does it actually take? We’ll break down exactly how many hours different IGN team members spent finishing the story—and how they chose to spend their time.

Simon Cardy - Senior Editor

When I finished Death Stranding 2’s main story, I’d clocked just over 34 hours. I stuck closely to the central mission path, tackling only about a dozen side objectives along the way. Still, this didn’t make the journey feel overly easy—while optional tasks unlock helpful tools, the sequel streamlines much of the original’s friction, making it easier to reach your goals without becoming trivial. That said, late-game combat and long-distance deliveries still demanded careful planning.

Since then, I’ve played another ten hours and now have Australia and Mexico fully connected to the Chiral Network. Yet I still can’t resist the pull to upgrade every facility to five stars. As someone who hates leaving tasks unfinished, I’ll be back in Sam’s boots soon to clear every last lingering mission.

I wrapped up the main story of Death Stranding 2 in about 38 hours, including credits. And no, half of that wasn’t cutscenes. Hideo Kojima clearly aimed for more purposeful storytelling here, cutting back on lengthy sequences so players could stay immersed in gameplay. I focused almost entirely on main missions, completing just a few side quests that likely added a couple of hours. Still, there’s so much left unexplored—I’m already eager to return for a near-complete playthrough. Maybe even a platinum run?

How Does Death Stranding 2 Compare to Other Kojima Games?

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a sprawling, continent-sized adventure—but how does its length stack up against the original and Kojima’s other titles? We checked How Long to Beat to compare average main story times across the mainline Metal Gear Solid games and Sam Porter Bridges’ first journey.

Metal Gear Solid - 11 ½ Hours
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty - 13 hours
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - 16 hours
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots - 18 ½ hours
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain - 45 ½ hours
Death Stranding - 40 ½ hours
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach - 37 ⅔ hours (IGN average)

Nick Limon - Executive Producer

I reached the credits of Death Stranding 2 after 41 hours. I wandered through Mexico and Australia at my own pace, soaking in the landscapes, ambient sounds, and tunes from my portable music player. I didn’t fully reconnect all of Australia, but I linked most of it to the Chiral Network—just a few outposts remain on my list to complete soon. Most of my time went into leveling up my Prepper ratings using gear and upgrades that matched my playstyle. Unlike the first game, Death Stranding 2 offers far more rich, tailored side content (at least from my experience—I didn’t play much of the original’s “Director’s Cut”) and I’m already looking forward to diving deeper.

Will you be playing Death Stranding 2? Planning to savor every side delivery, or just racing through the story? Let us know in the comments below!