What does your birthday do in Death Stranding 2?

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Untangle how your birthday affects whatever DOOMS is.

Death Stranding 2 birthday DOOMS: Sam looking at Lou as he holds her to his chest.
(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

Everyone knows that Kojima games are full of confusing jargon, but Death Stranding 2 almost immediately throws an interesting dilemma your way: your birthday. It might sound simple on paper, but—as the prompt cryptically notes—a birthday "can determine a person's experience of DOOMS".

Below, I'll explain what your birthday actually does, what DOOMS means, and whether it's worth fudging the numbers a little. If you've played the first Death Stranding, then you'll have an idea of what to expect.

Disclaimer

This guide is based on the PS5 version of Death Stranding 2, but we'll update it if anything changes as and when the PC version arrives. If the first game is anything to judge by, we could see it coming our way in around six months time.

What does your birthday do in Death Stranding 2?

(Image credit: Kojima Productions)

Just like the first game, your birthday in Death Stranding 2 determines your constellation—Cancer, Pisces, Cetus, Delphinus, or Gigas—but it has no tangible impact on gameplay. You'll also get a special birthday cutscene and items if you visit your private room in the DHV Magellan on your birthday, which is unlocked a few hours into the game during Episode 3: Drawbridge.

With this in mind, I recommend either setting your birthday as your actual date of birth or entering a date shortly after you start playing. You'll only be able to access this cutscene on the specific date you enter, so be sure to give yourself enough time to unlock the Magellan first—if you miss it, you'll have to wait until next year. After the cutscene, you'll get:

  • 900 Likes
  • A slice of stamina-boosting pizza
  • Heartman's Star-Shaped glasses

While your constellation supposedly influences how Sam experiences DOOMS—a rare condition that lets a person sense BTs, among other things—this doesn't seem to actually change gameplay.

That said, the dates for each constellation are as follows, if you want to experiment for yourself, too:

  • Cancer: June 21 to July 23
  • Pisces: February 19 to March 20
  • Cetus: November
  • Delphinus: September
  • Gigas: January
Rory Norris
Rory Norris
Guides Writer

Rory has made the fatal error of playing way too many live service games at once, and somehow still finding time for everything in between. Sure, he’s an expert at Destiny 2, Call of Duty, and more, but at what cost? He’s even sunk 1,000 hours into The Elder Scrolls Online over the years. At least he put all those hours spent grinding challenges to good use over the years as a freelancer and guides editor. In his spare time, he’s also an avid video creator, often breaking down the environmental design of his favourite games. If you can’t track him down, he’s probably lost in a cave with a bunch of dwarves shouting “rock and stone” to no end.

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