How to Unlock and Master Fast Travel in Death Stranding 2

After spending well over 40 hours trudging across Death Stranding 2’s sprawling landscapes, I can safely say mastering fast travel completely transformed my delivery runs. Early on, I wasted hours manually hiking between preppers simply because I hadn’t pieced together how all the new fast travel systems work-or what you need to unlock them. So let’s break down, step-by-step, how to unlock each major rapid transport option in DS2, avoid common pitfalls, and get the most out of each feature. If you want to cut out hours of backtracking and squeeze more efficiency from every delivery, this guide is for you.

Why Fast Travel Matters in Death Stranding 2

With Death Stranding 2’s map even bigger and preppers more spread out, it’s easy to lose motivation if you’re constantly walking back and forth. Fast travel isn’t just about saving time-it’s about optimizing cargo routes, skipping repetitive terrain, and stockpiling useful gear where you need it most. The right use of fast travel lets you experiment with deliveries, tackle time-sensitive or dangerous orders with confidence, and avoids the mental drag of “just one more kilometer.”

Unlocking the Three Main Fast Travel Methods

• DHV Magellan: Long-distance teleportation across the Chiral Network (after Order #012)
• Transponders & Refuges: Instant travel between networked structures (after Main Order #021)
• Hot Springs: Bath-powered teleportation as you discover and link more springs (mid-game+)

Each system comes with quirks and usage limits. Here’s what you’ll need before you can start zipping around the map.

What You Need Before Starting Fast Travel

• Steady main story progress-most features are locked behind specific Orders
• Network-connected facilities or preppers close to your delivery routes
• Chiral Bandwidth and CCP upgrades for more advanced placement (especially for transponders)
• At least one hot spring discovered (mid-game for most players)

If you’re a completionist, I highly recommend networking as many preppers as possible in each area before advancing too far, as this makes every fast travel leap even more efficient down the road.

Step-by-Step Guide to Unlocking and Using DHV Magellan

I admit, I totally overlooked the Magellan for my first dozen hours—partly because its story unlock is easy to miss in the chaos of early Orders.

1. Complete Main Order #012. This unlocks the DHV Magellan and introduces it through an in-game tutorial sequence.
2. Make sure your target location is Chiral Network-connected. If it isn’t, do necessary deliveries to hook it up (look for blue connections on your map).
3. Open your map. Hold X (or Square on PlayStation) to open the teleport menu with Magellan highlighted.
4. Select your destination. Choose any connected prepper or facility highlighted as reachable—unlocked ones will stand out, others are greyed.
5. Confirm teleportation. The game will show a brief animation and teleport your character, including gear from your private Magellan locker.

Important: There are rare main story points where Magellan use is restricted for narrative reasons. If the option is unavailable, check your current objectives—it’s usually temporary.

What makes the Magellan game-changing is the private locker that travels with you. If you, like me, ever wanted a stockpile of weapons or tools to meet you wherever you land, this system is a godsend. It singlehandedly reduced so much of my resource grinding, since I could cache high-level gear and tap it at any prepper outpost after teleporting.

Warning: Packages taken via Magellan do NOT earn standard delivery likes, and you cannot rank up Standard Orders this way. Only use Magellan when your priority is efficiency or resource repositioning—not maximizing likes or S-rank scores!

How to Use Transponders and Refuges for Local Fast Travel

I used transponders constantly to set up short-cuts between regions, especially for mountain crossings or doubling back to older delivery locations.

1. Unlock CCP Level 2. You’ll receive this upgrade after Main Order #021 from la Sourcière (the Source-woman NPC). This is a story milestone, so you can’t miss it.
2. Craft or acquire a transponder. Use your fabricator: Terminal → Fabricate Equipment → Transponder
3. Place your transponder. Deploy it near installations you revisit often. I made the mistake of spacing mine too far apart at first; clustering them around important hubs is much more useful.
4. Interact with the deployed transponder. Bring up the Transponder Menu, which shows available destinations (other installed transponders and eligible facilities).
5. Select a target and confirm. You’ll be instantly transported—but every item and piece of cargo must be left behind in the transponder’s locker. Plan ahead if your delivery route depends on specific tools or resources!

Refuges work identically. If you love base-building, set up a few near dangerous regions, as they double as rest points and as teleportation anchors.

The major drawback: With both transponders and refuges, all your gear and cargo must stay at the point of origin. The fast travel is for Sam only—they aren’t a substitute for logistical transport. I learned the hard way after getting stranded gearless on the wrong side of a BT zone!

Hot Spring Teleportation – The Fun (and Silly) Option

I almost skipped hot springs in DS2, thinking they were just for rest and buffs—until a side objective nudged me to experiment. They’re surprisingly handy for connecting hard-to-reach mountain zones.

1. Find and use your first hot spring. The earliest is near the Sorority facility (look for steam rising in the wilderness).
2. Sit in the hot spring and watch for the teleport prompt. If you see the Hold Square (PS5) / Hold X (PC) prompt with a bucket icon, you can teleport.
3. Teleport to Heartman’s Lab spring. This unlocks after your first teleportation soak.
4. Talk to the Hydrologist NPC. This opens the side mission for thermal drill usage and discovering more springs. Each found spring becomes a new travel node.

Remember: clothing and packages stay in the hot spring’s locker—you’ll only have your basic kit on arrival. Hot springs are great for environmental skips, but not delivery shortcuts if cargo is crucial.

Troubleshooting Common Fast Travel Problems

• Can’t fast travel? Double-check Chiral Network connections. Unconnected outposts don’t show up as destinations.
• Teleported but missing gear? If you used a transponder or hot spring, items are waiting in your origin locker. Always pack backup gear at likely arrival points!
• DHV Magellan locked? Some story missions restrict Magellan or fast travel. Progress the main order, and the feature will come back.
• Transponders won’t link? The network must reach both transponder sites; expand bandwidth and reinforce connective routes if you hit errors.

Advanced Strategies & Personal Time-Saving Tips

• Pre-position caches: Use Magellan to move a private locker’s worth of weapons and construction materials to high-activity hubs. This lets you attempt tricky standard orders or combat-centric missions with full prep later.
• Use transponders for mountain shortcuts: I routinely set a pair at each end of notoriously complex terrain. This can shave 10-15 minutes off risky climbs or weather-exposed crossings.
• Don’t forget about likes: For big reputation grinds, always do the return trip on foot for maximum like payout.
• Accept the gear limitation: When fast traveling with transponders/hot springs, set up retrieval plans for when you need your gear again—either by backtracking, or by routing Magellan drops near transponder clusters.
• Mix and match: For long-hauls, chain Magellan for the initial leap, then use transponders or springs to hop between nearby zones. I found a hybrid approach saved me the most time in marathon delivery sessions.

TL;DR: Fast Travel in Death Stranding 2—Quick Reference

• Finish Main Order #012 to unlock DHV Magellan (teleport to any Chiral-linked prepper; gear from Magellan locker comes too!)
• Complete Main Order #021 for CCP Lv.2 and transponder placement (teleport between installed transponders/refuges—but cargo stays behind!)
• Use hot springs for quirky teleports as you discover and unlock more. Gear stays at the origin spring.
• Always check Chiral Network and available routes before planning a fast travel chain.
• Biggest tip: Only use Magellan for supply, setup, or main story skips—save foot-based trips for top rank and likes!

With a smart mix of DHV Magellan, transponders, and the hot spring network, you can cut down on wasted hours and find real joy in Death Stranding 2’s world again. Don’t repeat my mistake of ignoring these systems—they’re absolutely game-changing once you get comfortable with their quirks. Happy deliveries, and may your next trek be as efficient as possible!