Hauling cargo across treacherous landscapes in Death Stranding 2 is more than a test of endurance-it’s also your key to mastering the game’s unique Porter Grade system. Whether you favor stealth, brute force, or lending a hand to fellow players, every decision shapes your stats and unlocks powerful new skills-if you know how to maximize every delivery.
Your Porter Grade might initially seem like a fluffy little throwaway system in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, just a way to get new tags that show up when other players interact with your objects in the world. It’s much more than that, though. Increasing your Porter Grade unlocks new APAS enhancements once you make a bit of progress in the main story, and those let you customize Sam’s abilities to fit certain playstyles or even specific jobs.
Below, we explain how to raise Sam’s Porter Grade stats and why you’d want to.
How to raise Porter Grade stats in Death Stranding 2
To raise your Porter Grade stats in Death Stranding 2, focus on performing actions that correspond to each of the five key categories: Porter, Combat, Stealth, Servicemanship, and Bridge Link. Completing delivery missions-especially those involving heavy or long-distance loads-will increase your Porter stat, while handling combat scenarios boosts Combat. Stealth improves when you avoid detection or complete jobs unseen, and Servicemanship grows as you deliver cargo in excellent condition or assist others with Aid Requests. Bridge Link is enhanced by building useful structures that other players use and by participating in online cooperative tasks. By actively engaging with each of these systems throughout your play, you will steadily improve all aspects of your Porter Grade, unlocking enhanced abilities and upgrades for Sam.
Sam has five Porter Grade stats, and these are independent from his normal ones, such as efficacy with assault rifles or ability to navigate terrain well. Death Stranding 2 tells you how to raise those in the stat description, but it’s not quite so forthcoming with Porter Grade stats. Here’s how to improve those:
- Porter – Complete delivery missions. Main story quests count toward this as well
- Servicemanship – Increases when the quality of your cargo delivery is high, so don’t hand over damaged stuff if you can avoid it
- Bridge Link – Increases when you give “likes” to another human player’s constructs in the world, and increases more when your constructs get “likes” in return
- Stealth – Improves when you clear encounters stealthily. That includes using the strand to incapacitate enemies or defeating them another way without them or nearby enemies realizing you’re there.
- Combat – Improves when you win a fight
Your stealth stat also increases if you approach a combat area and are close enough for the Obradek scanner to mark enemies, but you avoid the location and don’t engage in combat. If you’re in a hurry to raise stealth or combat, check your map for bandit camp icons, and make sure to clear out BT areas.
What does raising your Porter Grade stats in Death Stranding 2 do?
Raising your Porter Grade stats in Death Stranding 2 enhances your overall performance evaluation as a porter, reflecting your skills across five key areas: Porter, Combat, Stealth, Servicemanship, and Bridge Link. Improving these stats unlocks new APAS Enhancements that customize Sam’s abilities and playstyle, effectively rewarding your progress and skill development. For example, increasing Porter involves completing deliveries, especially heavy loads, while Combat and Stealth stats improve through combat engagements and sneaking past enemies unnoticed. Servicemanship rises with careful handling of cargo and Aid Requests, and Bridge Link grows by interacting with other players’ structures and contributing to shared infrastructure. Together, these stats shape your in-game reputation and unlock gameplay advantages tailored to your actions and choices.
Not much, initially. You get a Porter Grade evaluation every time you complete an order, but until you reach Australia and connect the Plate Gate there, the only thing that changes when your Porter Grade increases is the little nametag next to each stat.
After bringing the Plate Gate online and accessing the Magellan’s terminal for the next job, you’ll unlock APAS Enhancements. These are basically skills for Sam, and your Porter Grade determines which ones you can unlock and how many you can have. New enhancements seem to unlock every five grade levels. For example, at level eight stealth, you can unlock one stealth enhancement, while at level 11 servicemanship, you can pick two.
You’ll unlock more APAS Memory so Sam can have more skills activated simultaneously by improving your connection level with others – in other words, by completing orders.
What surprising tactics can maximize my Porter Grade in Death Stranding 2
Several lesser-known tactics can quickly maximize your Porter Grade in Death Stranding 2 by targeting not just basic deliveries, but also the subtler stat boosters across all five categories. Here are the most surprising and effective methods:
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Stack Heavy, Multi-Stop Deliveries: Accept bulk or long-distance delivery orders and carry cargo manually instead of relying solely on vehicles or bots. Manual hauling of bigger loads yields more Porter stat experience, especially when completed efficiently.
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Deliver Lost Cargo in Batches: Collect lost cargo throughout your travels and return it all in a single big batch to the relevant facilities. This increases your Servicemanship and Porter stats faster due to the surge in received Likes and rating multipliers.
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Assist Other Players Actively: Creating and upgrading structures (like ladders, ziplines, and bridges) in locations where you notice frequent traffic or bottlenecks can rack up Bridge Link experience when others use and like your structures. Placing helpful signs (near tough climbs or rest spots) is another quick way to harvest Likes.
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Engage in Social Strand Service (SSS): Regularly interact with messages and warnings left by other players. Giving and receiving Likes through these social features steadily boosts your Bridge Link metric and reinforces online cooperative benefits.
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Improvise in Combat & Stealth: Use environment and cargo as makeshift weapons to knock out enemies, or employ vehicles creatively-ramming or hit-and-run tactics grant significant Combat experience. For Stealth, take non-standard routes or use your scanner to identify enemies, then bypass them entirely for additional stat gain-even escaping without fighting yields bonuses.
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Prioritize Unique Side Content: Fulfill Aid Requests, return lost NPC cargo, and complete secondary objectives to elevate Servicemanship. These actions often grant hidden stat boosts compared to just focusing on main story deliveries.
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Mix Up Your Approach Frequently: If you notice one stat lagging behind, focus concertedly on its criteria for a few deliveries-whether by sneaking more, fighting, aiding others, or optimizing cargo runs. The more balanced your activity, the faster your overall Porter Grade climbs.
By diversifying your play and deliberately targeting less-obvious social and improvisational actions, you maximize grade gains and unlock powerful APAS enhancements for every playstyle.
Key Caveat: Bridge Link is widely reported as the slowest stat to raise; staying online, interacting generously, and contributing to collective player infrastructure is essential for this category.
What unconventional cargo delivery methods boost your Porter Grade quickly
Several unconventional cargo delivery methods can boost your Porter Grade quickly in Death Stranding 2:
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Deliver Cargo One-by-One: Instead of turning in a bulk of parcels at once, deliver each parcel separately at an outpost. Although this method appears inefficient, it surprisingly grants significantly more star upgrades and Likes for your Porter Grade compared to handing in all items together.
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Use Lost Cargo Strategically: Gather lost cargo on your route and deliver it yourself rather than entrusting it to other players or dropping it in share lockers. Handing in large quantities of personally returned lost cargo, especially to neglected facilities, causes a notable surge in Servicemanship and Porter stats.
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Tackle High-Difficulty or Timed Orders with Maximum Loads: Accept delivery missions with unusually large or heavy cargo requirements, or those set on tight time limits. These riskier orders provide more experience for both delivery volume and time stats, often boosting your grade by up to two ranks in a single leap.
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Use Unusual Routes or Vehicles: Employ vehicles creatively, such as using floating carriers to “surf” downhill or overcoming challenging terrain without conventional prep. Creative delivery methods can rack up extra Likes and stat increases, especially if you avoid damage and arrive rapidly.
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Deliver to Under-Serviced Outposts: Target facilities or NPCs that are off the beaten path or seldom visited. These recipients reward more points per delivery and can be instrumental in rapidly boosting certain stat categories, like Servicemanship.
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Maximize Social Strand Actions: Regularly place helpful structures (ladders, bridges, ziplines) in frequently trafficked areas and interact with other players’ structures. Expressing appreciation for others’ constructions (giving Likes) and having yours used/liked back boosts the Bridge Link stat, which is typically the hardest to raise quickly.
These methods leverage quirks in the game’s scoring algorithm, rewarding creativity, social engagement, and attention to overlooked aspects of cargo delivery.
