Death Stranding 2 birthday DOOMS explained – does your birth date choice make a difference?

When you load up Death Stranding 2 On The Beach for the first time, you’ll be presented with a screen asking you to input your birthday. While it might seem insignificant, the following screen feels more than a bit ominous. It explains that those born under constellations with a connection to the Beach – Death Stranding 2’s purgatory-like plane between the world of the living and the dead – are more susceptible to the DOOMS condition and display heightened symptoms. Worse yet, the message notes that these people are destined for disquiet and turmoil.

In keeping with Kojima’s penchant for the weird and opaque, it’s evocative stuff and might prompt you to want to enter the best date possible. However, you can rest easy; it has no lasting effects. It’s nothing more than a bit of introductory mood setting. In this guide, we’ll explain the deal with DOOMS and birthdays in Death Stranding 2.

DOOMS constellations explained

Per the message, DOOMS is more pronounced in those born under the constellations Cancer, Pisces, Cetus, and Delphinus. Some are familiar astrology zodiac signs while the others are more obscure. Cetus is a sea monster in Greek mythology but also denotes a constellation that’s referred to as the whale. Delphinus is also a small constellation that’s known as the dolphin. Each of the four’s visibility in the sky is more pronounced at certain times of year. Here are the exact dates each of these constellations relate to:

Constellation	Dates
Cancer	June 22 – July 22
Pisces	February 19 – March 20
Cetus	November
Delphinus	September

Does your birthday matter in Death Stranding 2?

No, regardless of whether you pick June 25, December 31, or any other date, your birthday has no tangible effect on gameplay or the story in Death Stranding 2. Though the message implies a higher affinity with DOOMS and possibly better abilities linked to the condition such as detecting BTs, your birthday doesn’t do anything. These constellations were presumably chosen because they relate to aquatic animals and by extension the Beach, making them thematically congruent with the Death Stranding 2 story. 

The bottom line is that you won’t get a different experience to any other player. The choice exists merely to play into Death Stranding 2 lore and really has no impact whatsoever on the game. Though Kojima is known for some wacky design choices, changing major elements of the game based on when you happen to be born would be a step to far even for him.

You will, however, trigger a special celebratory cut scene if you fire up the game on the birthday you choose and visit the DHV Magellan where you’ll earn a stamina-boosting slice of pizza, 900 Likes from Drawbridge, and Heartman’s Star-Shaped Glasses fieldwear. You’ll also want to note it down somewhere as you’ll need it to access a certain door later in the game.

For more Death Stranding 2 help, check out how to fix Death Stranding 2 stuttering, check out the full song list, and read up on how to change suit color to customize Sam’s look.