Death Stranding 2: On The Beachis a long game, with it taking dozens of hours to conquer the main campaign, even if all you focus on is mandatory orders and quests. But there is so much more to find off the beaten path once you’ve hit the end credits.

Kojima Productions is also pretty forgiving when it comes to thrusting you back into the open world after beating the main story, knowing players will want to revisit existing orders or take on new ones to connect the remaining nodes of the chiral network without distraction. It will also introduce a few new features that make this more enjoyable than ever, if you want to avoid unnecessary combat, that is.

Sam and Higgs do battle at the end of Death Stranding 2.

Major Spoilersfor the game’s ending, naturally!

What Happens After You Beat The Game?

Following an extensive final act in whichthe entire crew of the DHV Magellan travels to The Beach to take on and defeat Higgs,you will go through a number of sequences that tease the survival of Lou as Sam returns to Mexico.

Tomorrow is then, as is heavily foreshadowed by the entire narrative, revealed to bean older version of Louwho aged differently due to the alternate passage of time experienced on the beach and dimensions beyond it.

Sam and Tomorrow (Lou) during the final scene of Death Stranding 2.

Once the credits roll, you will be introduced to ‘Episode 17’, but as far as we can tell, this is just a way of describing the endgame rather than a continuation of the narrative.

Louise, as Tomorrow now calls herself, embraces Sam as the first round of credits begins to roll. We then return to shots of beautiful rolling landscapes alongside a few familiar sounds and sights before arriving at Tomorrow, standing before a new plate gate, dressed in Sam’s usual porter uniform with a cigarette in her mouth.

The endgame presents the drawbridge q-pid option in death stranding 2.

Death Stranding 2 then presents all of your important stats from across your playthrough.This is where the true endgame begins, and you are given a big decision to make - do you keep theDrawbridge Q-Pidswitched on or off?

What Does The Drawbridge Q-Pid Do?

The Drawbridge Q-Pid is a new mechanic introduced after the final cutscene, which asks the player whether they want to maintain a spiritual connection with the 4,000 severed souls left on the APAS Beach, or cut that link entirely.

Keeping it active willmaintain the same level of BT and Ghost Mech activity found during the campaign, while also allowing defeated enemies to respawn again and again.

Sam rides a tri-cruiser across Mexico in Death Stranding 2.

Don’t feel pressured to make an immediate decision about the Drawbridge Q-Pid, since you can switch it on or off at any time using the pause menu.

Turning it off, however,will reduce BT and Ghost Mech activity across the open world, and if you emerge victorious in an encounter with them, their chances of returning are far slimmer.

The player unlocks Higg’s Red Mask in Death Stranding 2 after beating the main story.

It’s essentially a way to make the delivery part of Death Stranding 2 more enjoyableacross the endgame. You don’t need to worry about being bogged down by hostiles and losing any precious cargo because you weren’t prepared, offering a way to enjoy the scenery, because, after beating Higgs, you’ve earned that much.

Are There Any Unique Items Or Missions?

Upon completing Death Stranding 2 and reaching the end credits, you will receive a couple new items that will carry over to the endgame. These are:

Judging by several hours spent in the endgame, there doesn’t appear to be any sort of epilogue or additional orders to take on now that the main narrative has concluded. However, existing orders remain and you can return to locations like Terminal Fort Knot to find ones you might have skipped in anticipation of the final battle.

DHV Magellan from above floating in the tar ocean in Death Stranding 2.

What Happens To The DHV Magellan?

Your base of operations remains active once the credits roll, although many of its inhabitants are no longer around. Rainy has gone to have her baby checked and Tomorrow joins her on this journey, while Fragile was revealed to have died during the final act.

Heartman has gone back to his research, and Lou is no longer in her pod after being revealed as a figment of our imagination for the entire game. So, it’s you, Tarman, and Dollman against the world.

Sam gives the player a thumbs up in his private room in Death Stranding 2.

If you decide to use thepolaroid cameralocated in Sam’s private room now, when you choose to either ‘keep’ or ‘gift' a photo, this sequence will then conclude with Sam waking up from a dream. Makes sense, since none of his friends are around anymore.

Otherwise,everything else aboard the DHV Magellan functions like usual. You can still shower, take on VR missions, and play with everything to be found in your private room. Chasing down all available orders will end up rewarding you with additional VR challenges to take on as well.