BT Holographic Grenade
Overview
The BT Holographic Grenade is one of the most tactically inventive weapons in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach. Rather than dealing direct damage, it deploys a highly realistic holographic projection of a BT upon detonation, triggering immediate panic in any human enemies who witness it. Given that BTs represent an existential terror to most survivors in the post-Death Stranding world, even the illusion of one is enough to scatter, disorient, and route enemy formations. It is a non-lethal crowd control tool with a uniquely psychological mode of operation.
How to Unlock
The BT Holographic Grenade becomes available for fabrication after players unlock its blueprint through in-game research progression. As Sam reconnects facilities across Australia and advances the Chiral Network, new fabrication recipes become available — the BT Holographic Grenade is among those unlocked through research tied to chiral technology and BT behavioral data. Once the blueprint is obtained, it can be fabricated at any terminal using standard materials.
Combat Usage
In combat, the BT Holographic Grenade is best used for crowd dispersal and breaking enemy formations. Throwing one into the middle of a MULE camp or Homo Demens patrol triggers mass panic — enemies scatter, drop their pursuit, and often flee in disarray. This creates valuable windows for stealth approaches, allowing players to slip through an area that was previously locked down, or to reposition during a firefight that is going poorly. The grenade can also be used offensively to isolate individual enemies from their group, splitting the formation before engaging on favorable terms.
Strengths
The BT Holographic Grenade's greatest strength is its effectiveness without requiring precise aim or high-damage output — the mere sight of the hologram does the work. It is entirely non-lethal, meaning there are no ethics penalties for its use. Against human enemies who have not yet developed countermeasures against BT illusions, it is one of the highest-impact tools available per unit of carry weight. Its primary limitation is irrelevance against BTs themselves (who cannot be deceived by a hologram of their own kind) and mechanical enemies that lack a fear response.
Tips and Strategies
Use the BT Holographic Grenade as an opener in multi-enemy encounters to immediately reduce the number of threats actively pursuing Sam. Once enemies are panicked and dispersed, follow up with the Silenced Machine Pistol to quietly neutralize any stragglers, or use the chaos to grab delivery targets and exit the area without further combat. Combining BT Holographic Grenades with Blood Grenades can create a devastating one-two effect: scatter enemies with the hologram, then hit any BTs in the area to trigger real BT activity and compound the chaos.