How to get to the Lone Commander in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach

Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander
(Image credit: Sony)

In Death Stranding 2 the Lone Commander is one of the first optional settlements you can visit, a single delivery point near the Government's Base in Australia, with multiple paths and various BTs along the way to pose a threat… though in actuality, there's a secret second (but longer) path to the Lone Commander that goes around the back of the mountains, and where a road can be built later as you progress through Death Stranding 2.

To help you reach it, I'll explain the two major paths to the Lone Commander in Death Stranding 2, how to find your way there, and what the rewards for building your reputation with this reclusive sniper actually are: spoiler warning, they're absolutely fantastic.

Delivering to the Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander

Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander

(Image credit: Sony)

The Lone Commander's location is marked in Death Stranding 2 when you first take the order to deliver to him, but there's two proper routes there from the Government's Base:

  1. The shorter route: Up the cliffs and through the BT zone.
  2. The longer route: Past the Brigand's camp and the Smoke Hill mine around the back of the mountain.

Both of these routes work fine, and it's a matter of whether you prefer speed or safety. Either way, make sure you bring at least one ladder, just in case!

The BT zone is dominated by numerous Watchers, but if you hug the edge of their zone on the lefthand side as you ascend the cliff, it's fairly easy to stealth around them (though if you're having trouble, check out our guide on how to handle Death Stranding 2 BTs). This is also an area that's prone to rain and timefall, so make sure that your equipment is up to strain and consider packing some Container Repair Spray.

Route 2 is far longer, but you don't have to deal with any BTs. Getting past the bandit camp is relatively easy, then the only challenge is a climb up the waterfall at the back of the mountain. By looping around, you can approach the Lone Commander's bunker from the back.

Lone Commander rewards

Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander

(Image credit: Sony)

There are numerous missions and cargo opportunities tied to the Lone Commander. The first time you encounter the bunker, you'll be turned away and have to recover some cargo from within the BT area to properly unlock them. However, it's worth it with the following reputation rewards:

  • 1 Star: Tranquilizer Sniper Rifle
  • 2 Stars: Smoke Grenade
  • 3 Stars: Silenced Tranquilizer Handgun
  • 4 Stars: Lightweight Tranquilizer Sniper Rifle
  • 5 Stars: Silenced Lightweight Tranquilizer Sniper Rifle

The Handgun is a good enough stealth weapon in the early game (though it serves a similar function to the Bola Gun), but it's the final reward, the SL LW Tranq Sniper Rifle, that made it onto our list of the best weapons in Death Stranding 2. This weapon can one-shot many human foes if you hit them in the head, and even if you miss, the silencer means that they'll never work out where you're firing from.

Want to find more secret delivery points? The Death Stranding 2 Bokka has all kinds of secret devices and gear to help you travel and find new cargo, while the Death Stranding 2 Inventor has a special upgraded Bola that can knock out enemies far more effectively than the standard model.

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Joel Franey
Guides Writer

Joel Franey is a writer, journalist, podcaster and raconteur with a Masters from Sussex University, none of which has actually equipped him for anything in real life. As a result he chooses to spend most of his time playing video games, reading old books and ingesting chemically-risky levels of caffeine. He is a firm believer that the vast majority of games would be improved by adding a grappling hook, and if they already have one, they should probably add another just to be safe. You can find old work of his at USgamer, Gfinity, Eurogamer and more besides.

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