Death Stranding BTs are by far the most horrific element of the game, near-invisible enemies who emerge out of the rain and tar to drag Sam into the realm of the dead. Early on in the game, it’s established that humans don’t fully understand what a BT actually is or how they breached the invisible barriers between the realms of the living and the dead, and as that mystery unfolds, they only become more unsettling.

Death Stranding is an extremely divisive game, but critics seem to be leaning more towards it being a potential game of the year contender rather than a disappointment. A lot has been made of the game’s unwavering vision for what a post-apocalyptic United States would look like and, more importantly, how people would behave within it. There are few shortcuts in the game, and it laughs at the idea of convenient fast travel - Death Stranding BTs are perhaps even scarier because there just aren’t effective methods at completing game objectives and avoiding them at the same time. To progress to Death Stranding’s ending, players need to face their fear and navigate their greatest foe.

Knowledge of an enemy is one of the most relevant advantages anyone can have, however, and Death Stranding BTs begin to make some sense as Sam navigates through the game and more researchers have their say in getting to know humanity’s most terrifying neighbor. Here, we’ve assembled a complete guide on Death Stranding BTs, from their origins, their powers, and how to beat them to ensure Sam - and the rest of the world’s - safety.

Death Stranding BT Origins

BTs, or Beached Things, originated as manifestations of the dead’s spirits. They are connected to The Beach, a plane of existence that is lodged between the realm of the living and the dead. During the Death Stranding, BTs were suddenly given access to the human world, which resulted in catastrophic consequences for every country. BTs are also antagonistic towards the living, and they seem to be suffering based on the noises Sam can pick up on when he has a better grasp of their presence in a certain location.

BTs can also be brought into the world when a human dies and their body isn’t properly incinerated. Since the Death Stranding, human bodies go through a process called necrotization, which sees the body slowly ooze tar until it is fully covered in it, sinking into a summoned pit of tar that in turn calls forth a massive BT. These BTs will then aggressively seek out humans and, upon eating one, trigger what’s called a voidout - essentially an explosion on the same level as a nuclear bomb, capable of wiping out huge chunks of landmass and leaving a crater behind.

Death Stranding BT Powers

BTs aren’t overtly powerful in the sense that they are in tune with all of their abilities - in fact, Death Stranding BTs seem to struggle with having anything resembling awareness or intelligence, instead attacking mindlessly and with one specific maneuver. Each type of BT brings with it its own kind of power:

  • Gazer: A Gazer is the floating BTs that Sam sees when they manifest during Timefall. They can be interacted with, and they don’t really do anything on their own - but if Sam gets too close to them and isn’t holding his breath, they alert the next stage of BT to his presence. Hunter: A Hunter BT appear as tar handprints slamming into the landscape and chasing Sam once he’s been spotted by a Gazer. Hunters will then emerge from a pool of tar that surrounds Sam as bodies grasping at him and attempting to drag him down. They can be shaken off, but they have a strong grip and are relentless. If Sam is fully overwhelmed by them, they then trigger the appearance of an even more terrifying BT. Catcher: A Catcher BT is the large Beached Thing that appears when Sam is finally dragged down by hunters. They can manifest in different forms, but it will always be a desperate fight for survival for Sam, as they are extremely powerful, boss-like enemies. When they eat Sam, they trigger a voidout, wiping the area surrounding the event off the map of Death Stranding altogether.

On top of this, all BTs share a connection to the Beach, which allows them to manifest in the physical world.

How to Kill Death Stranding BTs

Early in the game, Death Stranding BTs are nigh untouchable. The best Sam can do is avoid them or, a little later, use grenades made of his own blood to temporarily stun Gazers in an attempt to get away from a particularly problematic infestation of BTs. Eventually, as the game progresses, more is learned about Sam’s bodily fluids and Bridges continues to develop better, more efficient anti-BT tech until a fateful moment in Chapter 5 that grants Sam the ability to outright kill Gazers with his handcuffs.

For Catchers, they can always be beaten once Sam has access to blood-based weapons, but it takes quite a bit and threatens not only his stamina but also his blood levels. Depending on the catcher, an anti-BT gun or the grenades will be better choices - for larger masses of Catchers, the grenades AoE will be more appealing, but for quicker ones, the guns will be important.

In almost all Death Stranding BT scenarios, it’s better to err on the side of caution and not engage in combat unless absolutely necessary. Holding Sam’s breath is his best weapon in BT zones, as keeping the manifested BTs limited to just Gazers means his chance of survival multiplies dramatically. If caught out, though, players can rest assured that there are ways to kill Death Stranding BTs.

Next: Death Stranding Ending Explained (In Detail)

Death Stranding is available now on PlayStation 4. A PC version of the game releases summer 2020.