All Death Stranding 2 BTs types and how to kill them

Among the threats you’ll have to contend with in Death Stranding 2 none are quite as terrifying as BTs. Short for Beached Things, BTs are otherworldly spectres made up of particles that sprout out of the ground but also from tar pools, not to speak of the giant variants that take on nightmarish forms. 

BTs are the spirits or souls of the deceased who were not incinerated sufficiently quickly, prompting necrosis. They haven’t quite made it out of the liminal place known as the Beach and are stranded, fated to haunt the living world in search of bodies that no longer exist.

Fortunately, the people Sam helps along his journey have come up with novel ways to fight off BTs, namely with specialist weaponry. Even with these, killing BTs is no small feat. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to kill BTs in Death Stranding.

All BT types

There are four main types of BTs in Death Stranding 2:

BT Type	Description
Gazers	Gazers are blind ghosts that appear as particle spectres tethered to the ground by a hazy strand. They track their prey through sound, hence the need for Sam to hold his breath when traversing BT areas. They can only move within a small area and they leave tar-like hand-prints on the ground. They main function is to spot humans and alert Hunters.
Hunters	Hunters are a form of BT that is exclusively seen in tar. They remain hidden until a Gazer spots a human and then they emerge from the tar to grab their prey. If you’re caught by Hunters, you’ll be dragged across the ground towards a Catcher BT.
Golden Hunters	These are essentially more powerful Hunters that will kill caught humans by dragging them below the tar and drowning them.
Catchers	Catchers are the largest and fiercest of all the BT types, not just because of their size but also their ability to trigger voidouts (cataclysmic explosions that leave a massive crater in their wake) when capturing and swallowing their prey. Catchers don’t have a set, defined form so can take on many different appearances – giant heads, whales, etc. Though most Catchers require Gazers and Hunters to track humans, some appear out of nowhere.
Watchers	Watchers are a sub-variant of Gazers that can see humans and can be seen themselves even those without DOOMS. They’ll charge towards any prey they spot and drag them into a pool of tar to drown.
Chiral Creatures	Not technically BTs, Chiral Creatures are packs of small critters (spiders, bats, small blobs) that hunt in packs in set locations on the map. Contact with Chiral Creatures causes damage to equipment and cargo, drains batteries, and depletes Sam’s health.

How to detect BTs

If you played the original Death Stranding, you’ll remember that Sam’s BB was a crucial tool for detecting BTs. In Death Stranding 2, Sam no longer has a BB but has instead developed the ability to see the particulate forms of BTs when he’s standing still thanks to his DOOMS condition (abnormal powers caused by the Death Stranding and a strong connection with the Beach).

What this means in practical terms is that most BTs are no longer invisible and are detected visually. BT infested areas tend to be affected by heavy Timefall rain and high chiral density, which is a surefire sign that you are about to enter a BT area. They are also prevalent in ruins. The game also does a good job of signalling the proximity of BTs with a palpable atmosphere change with sinister music, plants that grow and die rapidly, and a darker on-screen colour palette. Many areas are also marked on the map.

From the start of Episode 3 Drawbridge, Sam will once again have a BB hooked up to his Odradek. When in a BT area, the Odradek will point towards any nearby BTs then flash and emit sound based on the proximity of a BT. The louder the sound and the faster the flashing, the closer the BT is to you.

How to kill BTs in Death Stranding 2

If you played the original Death Stranding, you’ll be familiar with using Sam’s bodily fluids to fabricate anti-BT EX grenades. While the basic concept remains the same in the sequel, technological advances now mean that DOOMS blood like Sam’s can now be artificially synthesized, removing the need to harvest Sam’s fluids to make grenades. They are instead produced using chiral printing and are fabricated at Delivery Terminals at facilities, settlements, and other locations.

To kill BTs in Death Stranding 2, you’ll want to use Blood Grenades. When thrown at a BT, a Blood Grenade will explode on impact into a cloud of blood vapour that will damage and, in most cases, kill the BT. You’ll unlock Blood Grenades when you complete Order 4 at the C1 South Distribution Center in Mexico.

Similarly, you can also use EX Grenades, which release a cloud of anti-BT vapour on impact. These won’t outright kill BTs but will repel Gazers and Hunters while also reducing the movement speed of Catchers. They work well if you don’t want to properly engage BTs but simply pass through their territory without getting harmed. These unlock at the same time as Blood Grenades at the end of Order 4.

Once you complete Order 5 at the Former Geophysics Research Lab in Mexico, you’ll unlock MP Bullets. These are essentially blood-infused bullets made using a synthetic substance based on DOOMS blood so no need to dip into Sam’s blood to make or use them. They are similar to Blood Grenades in that they have anti-BT properties. In practice, these bullets allow you to use conventional weaponry that’s compatible with MP Bullets to attack and kill BTs. They work extremely well against all BT types, though you’ll have to pummel larger BTs like Catchers and Watchers with multiple rounds before they die.

If you’re having trouble staying alive when fighting BTs in Death Stranding 2, make sure you know how healing and blood bags work. You’ll also want to make sure you have the best gear possible, so be sure to check out all the Mexico connection level rewards and upgrades up for grabs.