Walkthrough & Game Progression Guide for Subnautica 2. Learn which gears to unlock first, and the crafting priorities for the early, mid, and late game for smoother progression.
Table of Contents
Tips & Game Progression Cycle
Explore Areas to Unlock Blueprints
The general progression cycle in Subnautica 2 involves exploring the area around your base to gather materials and find blueprints. These are then used to craft better gear, which in turn allows you to explore new locations for rarer resources.
"Depth" of the Ocean is the Main Bottleneck
The deeper you explore, the better the gear you will need to craft and equip to survive. Adapting to the depth of the ocean that you want to explore is one of the challenges of the game.
Pre-Game: Choose A Game Mode
Survival and Creative Mode Differences
| Feature | Creative Mode | Survival Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Health / Oxygen / Food / Water | No depletion | Must be managed |
| Resources | Unlimited Can craft with an empty inventory | Must be gathered |
| Blueprints and Adaptations | All unlocked immediately | Must be acquired through scans and exploration |
| Tools | Pre-assigned to hotkeys. No battery drain | Must be crafted. Batteries deplete |
| Blackbox Signals | Active; marks locations on your HUD | Active; marks locations on your HUD |
| Enemies | Passive | Hostile creatures active |
You can play in either Creative or Survival Mode in Subnautica 2. Creative mode gives you the freedom to play with unlimited resources, while Survival mode challenges you to progress through careful exploration. A third mode is yet to be announced.
| Tip! | Playing in Creative Mode automatically skips the prologue. |
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Early Game Priorities & Walkthrough
Early Game Priorities
- Craft Essential Starter Tools
- Improve Exploration Capabilities:
- Craft Air Bladder or Air Tank
- Craft Basic Fins & Use Dash - Learn to Manage Thirst & Hunger:
- Craft Water to Bring Along
- Get the Digestion Adaptation - Visit Marked Blackbox Locations
- Build Your Base
- Craft the Habitat Builder
- Set Up Your Base - Place Essential Base Facilities
- Stock Up on Supplies:
- Build Other Farming Tech
Craft Essential Starter Tools
Upon exiting the Lifepod after the introduction, your first priority should be to craft the Survival Multitool and the Scanner. These items will allow you to gather materials and unlock new blueprints to craft.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Survival Multitool | - Standard issue pioneer tool for harvesting tougher materials [Recipe]: - Titanium x 3 |
| Scanner | - Scans the world to generate databank entries and fabrication blueprints [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Quartz x 2 - Basic Battery x 1 |
Improve Exploration Capabilities
Exploration is essential to progress in Subnautica 2. Areas and wreckages can contain items and tech that can unlock Blueprints for tools, base building, and more. Being able to explore more comfortably should be your next goal.
Craft Air Bladder & Air Tank
Oxygen is a high priority resource in this game. The more you have, the longer you can stay in the water without needing to go back up for air. Having both an Air Bladder and a Standard Air Tank is a must.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Air Bladder | Rapid flotation bladder for emergency ascents. Can be inhaled to supply a few seconds of air to self and nearby divers. [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Rubber x 1 |
| Standard Air Tank | Hold Breathing Air. Increases Oxygen to 75. [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Rubber x 1 - Silver x 2 |
Craft Basic Fins & Use Dash
At the start of the game, you will be swimming across distances since Vehicle crafting is not available until the mid-game. Create the Basic Fins to be able to swim faster. Selecting the Dash Adaptation is also recommended to make traversing the water much faster.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Basic Fins | Simple diving fins that provide a small speed boost. [Recipe]: - Rubber x 2 - Fiber x 2 |
| Biolab | Modifies your Adaptations [Recipe]: - Titanium x 3 - Copper Wire x 1 - Mild Acid x 1 |
Learn to Manage Thirst & Hunger
Besides Oxygen, you will have to manage your Thirst and Hunger as you explore. Depleting these is not recommended as it can lead to your character's death. At the start of the game, you will be relying on Water Slugs for water and Nutrient Blocks for food.
Craft Water to Bring Along
Collect Water Slugs to turn them into Water, which you can bring along with you. This will let you safely manage your Thirst even when you're away from your base.
Get the Digestion Adaptation
Managing your Hunger becomes easier when you get the Digestion Adaptation since it will allow you to consume the creatures you catch. You can get this Adaptation near Anita's Blackbox.
Visit Marked Blackbox Locations
NOA will give periodic prompts to visit Blackboxes that it has located. It's highly recommended that you go to these locations whenever they become available. Most Blackboxes are in wreckages where you can find scannable items to unlock new Blueprints, so prioritize visiting these locations.
Build Your Base
Although the Lifepod is great at the start, you will eventually have to make a Base of your own. You can fully design this to your liking and it will allow you to place down more advanced facilities to craft and survive.
Find & Craft the Habitat Builder
The Habitat Builder allows you to fabricate your modular base. To unlock its blueprint, you need to scan its broken fragments using the Scanner. After scanning enough fragments, you will receive the blueprint to craft your own.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Habitat Builder | Fabricates habitat compartments, appliances, and external facilities from raw materials. [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Glass x 1 - Basic Battery x 1 - Copper Wire x 1 |
Set Up Your Base
Once you have the Habitat Builder, use it to create a base. It's best to build your base near resource-rich areas to make gathering materials easier. Your base will also require Power to function so be mindful of the amount you can generate for it.
| Tip! | Build your base near water currents for easier Power generation! |
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Create Essential Base Facilities
After you have your Base, it's time to set up different Base Facilities in it. Base Facilities have different functions, including those that can craft higher tier materials, create specific tools and tech, and those that can help in marking resource locations.
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Processor | Completes complex biochemical and manufacturing tasks over time for more advanced recipes. [Recipe]: - Titanium x 2 - Mild Acid x 1 - Copper Wire x 1 |
| Scanner Station | [Recipe]: - System Chip x 1 - Titanium x 3 - Wiring Kit x 1 |
| Battery Terminal | [Recipe]: - System Chip x 1 - Titanium x 3 - Wiring Kit x 1 |
Stock Up on Supplies
After establishing a base, start stocking up on supplies like food, medicine, and water. This will allow you to venture into further explorations beyond the early game.
Build Other Farming Tech
After stocking up, your next goal is to build farming-related facilities. This includes the Scanner Station, which highlights the locations of nearby materials, and the Sonic Resonator for heavy-duty mining.
Mid-Game Priorities & Walkthrough
More Info Coming Soon!
This section is a work in progress! We will be updating this soon so stay tuned for more!
Late-Game Priorities & Walkthrough
More Info Coming Soon!
This section is a work in progress! We will be updating this soon so stay tuned for more!
