All the best unlocks in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

The best unlocks in Death Stranding 2 all come from different Prepper bunkers as you link them up and increase their connection level, with special rewards that include new weapons, vehicle options, equipment and more besides. Unlocking these allows you to massively expand your options and resources beyond the basic selection of gear that Death Stranding 2 would normally provide you, with many of the game's best items locked off for those who don't bother to go the extra mile (or several).

However, not every settlement, bunker and location offers equally good rewards, and you only know what you'd get from a location after you've unlocked what they have to offer – until now. Having completed the game myself and corroborated with others on the GamesRadar+ team who have done the same, I'll lay out all the best unlocks and rewards you can get in Death Stranding 2, and where you have to go to get them!

All best unlocks and rewards in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

What follows is a list of all the best unlocks in Death Stranding 2 you can get as rewards for building their connection level, as well as how many stars you have to get and where.

I’ve broken them up into reward categories and have listed them in the order in which you'll encounter the settlements you need to build the connection with, with late-game settlements coming last:

Weapons

• Blood Grenade Lv2: C1 South Distribution Centre / 3 Stars
  • An enhanced version of the standard Blood Grenade, for no penalty.
• SL-LW Tranq Sniper Rifle: Lone Commander / 5 Stars
  • A silenced sniper rifle that can let you beat whole strongholds from stealth easily. Check our guide on how to reach the Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander.
• LW Shotgun [MP] Lv2: The Musician / 4 Stars
  • One of the best Death Stranding 2 weapons for close-range.
• Bola Stun Gun: The Inventor / 4 Stars
  • A stealth weapon that can incapacitate most enemies with a single shot, no matter where you hit them. If you need help, here's how to reach the Death Stranding 2 Inventor.
• Combat Power Gloves Lvl 2: F2 South Distribution Center / 4 Stars
  • Massively increase your melee power at a minor battery cost.
• Secrets of Pizza-Do Acrobatic Karate: Slamming: Pizza Chef / 4 Stars
  • A special melee move that allows you to one-shot many enemies, and the best of the Death Stranding 2 pizza martial arts moves.
• SL-LW Assault Rifle [MP] Lv2: The Data Scientist / 4 Stars
  • A silenced AR that serves as a powerful weapon in many circumstances.
• Improved Blood Boomerang: The Aeronautical Engineer / 2 Stars
  • A permanent, cost-free power-up for the Blood Boomerang.
• LW Seven-Rocket Launcher: F7 North Distribution Center / 3 Stars
  • A massively destructive weapon and one of the most powerful in the game.

Equipment

• Extra Battery Lv4: Heartman's Lab / 4 Stars
  • A backpack addition that grants you extra battery when equipped.
• High-Capacity Blood Bag: The Motherhood / 3 Stars
  • A superior Blood Bag that allows for greater health restoration. If you need help getting into this base, we can show you how to figure out the Death Stranding 2 Motherhood passcode.
• Bokka Skeleton Lv3: East Fort Knot (F4) / 4 Stars
  • A skeleton that hugely boosts your ability to climb and stay upright, as well as your carrying capacity.
• Absolute Boots: F5 East Distribution Center / 2 Stars
  • Boots that score highly in all stats with no clear downsides or weaknesses.
• Backpack Cover Lv2: The Fisherman / 4 Stars
  • A protective seal for your backpack that protects carried cargo from certain effects.

Vehicle upgrades

• Battery Unit Lv2: West Fort Knot (F1) / 4 Stars
  • Increases the Battery Life of any of the Death Stranding 2 vehicles it's attached to.
• Off-Roader Armor: The Mechanic / 2 stars
  • Increases the resilience of the Off-Roader.
• Antigravity Unity (Vehicles): The Mechanic / 2 stars
  • Decreases the weight of the vehicle so contained cargo is less damaged by falls or crashes.

It goes without saying that this guide doesn't cover the default rewards that players earn through simply accessing those settlements, unless they're optional. Basically, we're ignoring any mandatory rewards you'll earn on Death Stranding 2's critical path. Almost all of these Preppers and settlement dwellers are famous faces too, so check out who’s who in the Death Stranding 2 cast list.

Need more help with the world of Sam Porter Bridges? Find out the answer to Death Stranding 2 Tomorrow's Nightmare choice, or check out our answer to the question: Do you need to play Death Stranding 1 before 2?

© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission.