How does the bulk delivery penalty work in Death Stranding 2?

The bulk delivery penalty in Death Stranding 2 is a subtle but vital mechanic that governs how quickly you can improve connections with Preppers and facilities across the map. Although the sequel introduces more combat and variety, the delivery loop remains the core of your journey, and the game doesn’t want you rushing through it.

That’s where the penalty kicks in. It essentially prevents you from reaching maximum connection levels too quickly by dumping all your collected cargo at once.

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What does the bulk delivery penalty do in Death Stranding 2?

The Inventor in DS 2 (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Every facility in Death Stranding 2 is represented by a connection level, shown by stars. Bringing cargo in good condition and completing deliveries increases this connection and earns Likes from the facility’s Prepper. Let’s say you’re sitting at a two-star connection. Even if you arrive with 10 pieces of valuable cargo in perfect condition, the system will still limit your upgrade.

You won’t jump to a higher level, even if you’ve technically earned enough Likes for it. That’s the bulk delivery penalty in action — a soft ceiling on relationship progress to keep the game’s flow steady.

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Why the system exists

The bulk delivery penalty is not just there to slow you down. Death Stranding 2 is still about connection —not just connecting locations to the Chiral Network, but also building trust with the people you meet.

Kojima’s world encourages repeated interactions. The main delivery cap prevents you from completing a single favor and calling it a day. You need to return, deliver again, and gradually earn those extra rewards.

Without this restriction, players could just hoard cargo, make one big drop, and immediately max out a facility’s connection level. That would eliminate a lot of the emotional rhythm and miss the point of Death Stranding's message about effort, patience, and forming deeper human bonds.

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Quick tips to level up facilities faster without breaking the limit

When off-balance, press L2 and R2 to prevent cargo damage (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Sony Interactive Entertainment)

Even with the bulk delivery penalty restricting your progress per visit, there are still effective ways to level up facilities quickly:

• Focus on lost cargo: XL cargo near your target hub can yield over 300 Likes each. Collect everything within a 500–1000m radius and scan frequently.
• Hit Mule camps: Their postboxes are filled with lost cargo. Clearing just one camp can often earn you a full star.
• Explore BT Zones: Dangerous, but full of large cargo. Clear the BTs, take the goods, and earn 1500–2000 Likes.
• Entrust cargo to Porters: Instead of delivering everything yourself, have porters handle it. You’ll still earn most of the Likes in Death Stranding 2.
• Use shared lockers: Collect other players’ cargo for your hub or re-entrust it to earn bonus Likes.
• Use trucks and carriers: Equipment like exosuits, sticky cannons, and floating carriers helps move large loads efficiently.
• Use the Order Menu: Filter by hub, cancel damaged orders, or redeploy cargo to reset its condition — especially useful after fights.
• Split your deliveries: Don’t submit everything at once. Distribute them to activate multiple stars using the hidden Like rollover.

These methods help bypass the time sink while staying within the system's limits.

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Check out: How to construct and use Timefall Shelter in Death Stranding 2