Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Get 5 Star Connection Levels & Unlock All Items

This guide explains how to rapidly increase facility connection levels in Death Stranding 2, enabling the unlock of powerful new rewards such as advanced weapons, backflipping ramps, and Electrical Power Gloves. By following these strategies, facility connection levels can reach five stars efficiently, opening access to every available item.

Basics of Increasing Connection Levels

Facility connection levels improve when deliveries are made to a hub. To view the current connection level, hover over the facility on the map or check the Social Strand Service menu under Deliveries. 

Each completed delivery grants several likes from the handler, with larger and heavier cargo providing more likes. Standard deliveries often yield a one-star level by story completion, but several advanced methods exist to push levels further.

Acquiring Lost Cargo

Lost cargo is the most prolific source of likes. A single XL Lost Cargo crate typically grants around 300 likes, while multiple smaller crates accumulate quickly. To maximize lost cargo collection, scan the area within a 500–1000 m radius of the target facility. Upgrading with the Apass upgrade extends the scanning range, making it easier to locate hidden crates.

The most abundant lost cargo appears in enemy encampments. Mule Post Boxes within these camps often contain full-star worths of cargo. Build a Watchtower to reveal enemy positions and notable items, ensuring no crates remain hidden behind holograms.

Dangerous Area Cargo Farming

BT areas are high-yield zones for large lost cargo containers. These areas spawn BTs unpredictably but can be learned through exploration. For instance, the zone near the Lone Commander repeatedly yields 12–15 large crates, netting 1,500–2,000 likes per run. 

Equip Blood Grenades and appropriate weapons to clear BTs and optionally defeat the boss to collect Chyro Crystals alongside lost cargo. Clearing a zone ensures repeatable access with minimal interference.

Entrusting Cargo for Passive Delivery

Once the cargo is acquired, it need not be personally delivered. At any hub, entrust cargo—including crates not destined for that facility—to a porter. In Death Stranding 2, entrusted cargo grants nearly the full-like value and is delivered within one to two in-game hours. 

Offline porters deliver faster, but online mode provides additional network benefits. Checking the Shared Locker under "Share Cargo with Other Porters" reveals entrusted cargo from other players, which can be picked up and re-entrusted for extra likes.

Vehicle and Exoskeleton Upgrades

For efficient cargo farming, utilize the Pickup Off-Roader truck to transport more crates per trip. Mid-to-late game upgrades, such as the Sticky Cannon and Climbing Gloves, allow crate collection while moving. Combining exoskeletons with floating carriers replicates truck capacity, though zipline networks limit floating carrier use to one at a time.

Tips for Standard Orders

Standard orders grant likes based on weight and delivery distance. Infrastructure such as roads, monorails, and zip lines accelerates delivery speed and reduces damage. Use the search and filter function in the order menu to plan routes by pickup or destination hubs. Cancel and redeploy orders to avoid cargo damage: redeploying respawns crates undamaged at the original pickup point.

Efficient Aid Request Completion

Aid requests are quick tasks to build or retrieve items, offering a steady supply of likes. Review all active requests in the menu and prepare resources before departure. Combining aid requests with cargo runs optimizes time spent in the field.

Star Rating Exploit

Each delivery awards only one-star level at a time but carries over excess likes. To capitalize on this, spread deliveries across multiple hand-ins rather than depositing all cargo at once. This approach triggers consecutive star upgrades rapidly without replaying orders. Note that some hubs require suborder completion to advance beyond certain star levels—plan accordingly to avoid progression blocks.

Guide Usage

By employing these methods—focused lost cargo farming, passive porter deliveries, efficient infrastructure use, and strategic delivery management—connection levels across all hubs can be maxed with minimal grinding, unlocking every item in the world of Death Stranding 2.

Also, check our Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Review and other guides below:

• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Beginner's Guide | Gameplay Tips & Tricks
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Recommended Settings For Smooth Gameplay
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Early Powerful Items & Weapons
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Early Game Tips & Rewards
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Major Mistakes To Avoid
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Best APAS Enhancements
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | Best Early Game Rifles
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Fast Travel
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Unlock Your First Vehicle
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Manage Weight
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Use Monorail
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Rescue Test Subject Kangaroo
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Recover All Chiral Density Gauges Stolen by Bandits
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Get Materials at the Mine North of F1
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Deliver All Terraforming Equipment To Rainbow Valley
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Deliver A Wild Animal To The Shelter
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Construct Timefall Shelter
• Death Stranding 2: On the Beach Guide | How To Beat Mysterious Man