Death Stranding 2: On The Beach has a renewed focus on combat, both against humans and BTs. Cargo management is a major aspect of the entire game, and can also play into combat if you're carrying a huge load of goods.
While cargo can be equipped to your suit or held in your hand, your backpack will be the main source of storage, and enough cargo can stack very high, making Sam slow and noticeable. One addition from the first game is that now Sam can remove his backpack, letting you operate a bit more freely to either improve your stealth or move quickly to clear out enemy camps or BTs. Here's how to remove your backpack.
Death Stranding 2: 10 Tips And Tricks For Beginners
These beginner tips for Death Stranding 2 help players get more involved while completing Sam’s early deliveries.
How to Take Off Your Backpack in Death Stranding 2: On The Beach
The amount of cargo you're carrying in your backpack and how high it is stacked affect your movement speed, how easily you can turn while moving, and also how easily it is for an enemy to spot you. While it's safer to keep your cargo with you to make sure it is never lost, sometimes it can be beneficial to set it down and let Sam stay undetected.
You can choose to take your backpack off at any time by holding up on the D-pad and opening up your cargo menu. The option in the top left of the wheel is to offload your backpack, and holding the joystick in that direction when closing the menu will have Sam take off his backpack and set it down right where he's standing.
- Your backpack will appear as an icon on the mini-map.
- All cargo in your backpack will appear on your HUD along with your player ID over it.
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Death Stranding 2 features dozens of Orders and narrative Episodes. Here’s a complete list of both to help track your story progress.
Should You Take Off Your Backpack in Death Stranding 2?
Taking off your backpack can be beneficial as long as you do it for short amounts of time and stay relatively close, while also dropping it somewhere it won't be noticed by enemies. The mobility and stealth bonus for dropping your backpack is great, especially when you have a lot of cargo, just make sure you have any weapons needed to clear out the enemies.
Without your backpack, you'll only be able to pick up enough cargo that fits on your suit, so you will probably need to go back through the camp after clearing it to make sure you get everything needed. The stealth benefit is by far the most noticeable change, as Sam will disappear in tall grass and behind most small obstacles.
Getting hit with cargo in your backpack can also damage your cargo, while also running the risk of it getting knocked off your backpack and lost. Setting your backpack down for combat will help you keep your cargo undamaged and achieve higher ratings for every delivery.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 95%
- Released
- June 26, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Violence, Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Strong Language
- Developer(s)
- Kojima Productions
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
