Skip to main content
PC Gamer THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY ON PC GAMES
Search PC Gamer
View Profile
Movies & TV
Gaming Industry
PC Gaming Show
Newsletter Signup
Community Guidelines
Affiliate Links
Meet the team
About PC Gamer
PC Gamer Magazine Subscription
Why subscribe?
Subscribe to the world’s #1 PC gaming mag
Try a single issue or save on a subscription
Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From£35.99View Deal
Essential Hardware
PC Gaming Show
Dune: Awakening
Recommended reading
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 Porter Grade explained: How to unlock APAS Enhancements
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
11 little Death Stranding 2 improvements that made me say ‘hell yeah’
Death Stranding 2 sounds like everything I hoped it’d be
Death Stranding 2 vehicles and how to unlock them
An Elden Ring Nightreign dataminer dove into the numbers to prove that reaching max level isn’t as strong as it seems
Death Stranding 2
How to improve your stats in Death Stranding 2
Rory Norris
Contributions from
Sean Martin
25 June 2025
Perform these specific actions to boost Sam’s effectiveness.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
As with the first game, Death Stranding 2 has various stats you can improve and level up over time, though they’re more varied—and important—than before.. You also improve them in a slightly different way, too.
With even harsher conditions across Mexico and Australia than in North America, including new storms, earthquakes, landslides, and so on, you need to have your wits about you. Focusing on boosting these stats will pay off massively in helping you deal with new threats.
This guide is based on the PS5 version of Death Stranding 2, but we’ll update it if anything changes as and when the PC version arrives. If the first game is anything to judge by, we could see it coming our way in around six months time.
How to improve each Death Stranding 2 stat
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)
There are a total of 12 stats that you can level up, split into two categories: Sam’s fitness and his weaponry skills. You level each of these stats by performing a different action—some easier than others, like terrain traversal—with five levels of upgrades to progress through:
Related Articles
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 Porter Grade explained: How to unlock APAS Enhancements
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
Swipe to scroll horizontally
How to Improve
Terrain Traversal
Traverse natural obstacles like slopes, rivers
Reduces stamina depletion when wading through water or scrambling up gradients
Carry Capacity
Carry heavy cargo loads over long distances
Increases Sam’s maximum weight limit
Running for long periods of time
Reduces fatigue accumulation
KO Resistance
Moving while holding to centre your balance, and blocking enemy attacks
Damage reduction to make Sam harder to knock unconscious
Lung Capacity
Holding your breath for extended periods of time
Increases how long you can hold your breath for
Strand Skills
Binding enemies from behind (stealth takedowns)
Increases the attack range of your strand
Mastery: Melee Combat
Kill enemies while unarmed or using melee weapons
Increases melee damage, attack combo length, and makes melee weapons more durable
Mastery: Handguns
Kill enemies using handguns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with handguns
Mastery: Assault Rifles
Kill enemies using assault rifles
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with assault rifles
Mastery: Sniper Rifles
Kill enemies using sniper rifles
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with sniper rifles
Mastery: Machine Guns
Kill enemies using MachineGuns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with machine guns
Mastery: Shotguns
Kill enemies using shotguns
Improve reload speed, reticle sway, and recoil control with shotguns
Death Stranding 2 APAS Enhancements: Porter Grades
Death Stranding 2 carry capacity: Porter-bility
Death Stranding 2 vehicles: All rides
Death Stranding 2 repair vehicles: Charged and ready
Death Stranding 2 fast travel: Skip the scenery
Death Stranding 2 Magellen evaluation: Short-changed
The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals
Keep up to date with the most important stories and the best deals, as picked by the PC Gamer team.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
Rory Norris
Social Links Navigation
Guides Writer
Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.
With contributions from
Sean MartinSenior Guides Writer
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
How to increase carry capacity in Death Stranding 2
Death Stranding 2 Porter Grade explained: How to unlock APAS Enhancements
PSA: Grab the best upgrades from Death Stranding 2’s first area before you leave
11 little Death Stranding 2 improvements that made me say ‘hell yeah’
Death Stranding 2 sounds like everything I hoped it’d be
Death Stranding 2 vehicles and how to unlock them
Latest in Action
Sloclap shoots, then scores as Rematch hits 3 million players, proving there’s a surprising overlap between sports and fighting game fans
I turn my back for one second and now Assassin’s Creed Shadows has Critical Role in it
11 little Death Stranding 2 improvements that made me say ‘hell yeah’
Palworld studio changes its mind about releasing its co-op Hollow Knight-like in early access, will go straight to 1.0
In Crimson Desert, the true boss battle is wrangling its controls to unlock the cool combat within
What happens if you choose ‘I won’t do it’ in Death Stranding 2?
Latest in Guides
How to remove ticks in Peak
Can you save your progress in Peak?
16 of the best landing spots in Fortnite
Where to find the Scoutmaster in Peak
How to revive your friends in Peak
Marvel Rivals Season 3 release date, potential characters, and more
HARDWARE BUYING GUIDES
LATEST GAME REVIEWS
Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads
Best graphics card for laptops in 2025: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop
Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most
Best 14-inch gaming laptop in 2025: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands
Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested
Biwin Black Opal X570 Pro 2 TB review
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025) review
Razer Blade 14 (2025) review
Dune: Awakening review
Rematch review
PC Gamer is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
Contact Future’s experts
Terms and conditions
Privacy policy
Cookies policy
Advertise with us
Accessibility Statement
Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury,
BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.
Please login or signup to comment
Please wait…