Version context: 31 October 2026. Subnautica 2 is in Early Access on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S. Early Access began on 14 May 2026. The public release line is 1.2, Buddy System, with Hotfix 2 released on 6 October. Early Access 2 previews describe upcoming content. Experimental builds are separate from the public Default branch. Advice here assumes unmodded Survival; needs and unlocks differ in other modes. Check recipes, equipment limits, and available upgrades in your installed build. Later sections name creatures, facilities, and progression destinations; stop before them if you prefer to discover these yourself. Official links and patch news.
Mobile expedition system
The Tadpole is more than faster swimming
The command module provides oxygen access, power, hardpoints, upgrade slots, and detachable chassis support. Its real value is reducing the number of reasons an expedition must turn around.Crossing the limit causes structural damage until the vehicle rises.
Enough for many Needler Nest, Metal Farms, and upgrade routes.
Creative-only in current references; not a confirmed Survival upgrade.
Build around the objective instead of installing four versions of one solution.
First vehicle
Build the whole support loop, not only the hull
A usable Tadpole needs the blueprint, fabrication space, reliable base power, docking or Power Cell charging, and a Repair Tool ready before the first long trip.Scan the Tadpole blueprint
Follow early vehicle objectives and scan the required Tadpole technology rather than forcing a dangerous deep shortcut.
Unlock a powered vehicle bay
Scan the Room, Moonpool, Tadpole Dock, and Vehicle Fabricator technology needed to construct and maintain the submersible.
Leave Moonpool clearance
Give the dock and fabricator enough interior and exterior space. Adaptive Measures improved placement, but blocked geometry still prevents construction.
Prepare the component chain
Stockpile Titanium, Quartz, Copper, Silver, acid-chain ingredients, Salt, and Power Cell materials before beginning the build.
Fabricate and test locally
Complete a shallow circuit, learn the power drain, verify docking, and place a Repair Tool in the permanent field kit.
Build support
Vehicle bay checklist
Powered Room · expanded Moonpool · Tadpole Dock · Vehicle Fabricator · Power Cell charging · exterior clearanceDetachable platforms
Choose speed or expedition capacity
The bare Tadpole can dock with either chassis. Clear mounted equipment first, then drive the command module into the platform.Scout Ray
10 m/s · high acceleration and turningUseful for survey work and crossings where speed matters more than cargo capacity.
- Scanned at Tadpole Pens
- Folding wings and extra propulsion
- Speed comes at the cost of Haul cargo capacity
Haul
8 m/s · low accelerationAdds cargo pods, passenger positions, oxygen access, and utility hardpoints for extraction or construction runs.
- Three fragments across advanced regions
- Up to four pioneers aboard
- Detachable stationary cargo option
Do not take the Haul rig into unknown danger by default. Its capacity is excellent, but slower acceleration and turning reduce the margin for correcting a bad approach.
Modification Station
Modules change range, depth, and risk
Recipe Data Cards unlock the current module set. Install only one depth module at a time, then use the remaining slots to solve the route's main failure conditions.Engine Efficiency
Reduces engine power use. Check the installed module description for the effect in your build.
One copy is a strong default. More copies trade away defense, depth, or utility for extreme range.Strike Armor
Reduces incoming physical damage from attacks and collisions.
Use it as insurance, not permission to collide. Check armor behavior after updates before relying on stacked modules.Depth Module Mk. 1
Raises safe operating depth from 250 m to 450 m. Multiple depth modules do not stack.
Craft this before the lower Metal Farms and deeper Root Canyon routes.Depth Module Mk. 2
Raises the Tadpole's safe operating depth to 800 m.
Current references list Mk. 2 as Creative-only, with no Survival unlock. Do not plan a Survival route around it.Photovoltaic Charger
Recharges the Power Cell in shallow water during daylight.
Surface or rise between objectives; it cannot sustain a vehicle that stays deep all day.Cavitation Muffler
Reduces vehicle noise and makes sound-sensitive fauna less likely to investigate.
It lowers attention; it does not make the Tadpole invisible to every predator or Leviathan.Blueprint route
Follow upgrades east with progression
The vehicle path naturally runs from the Graveyard into the Research Outpost, Needler Nest, wreck network, Metal Farms, and Root Canyon.Tadpole Pens
Reach the Graveyard facility after Heat Tolerance. Scan the Scout Ray chassis and vehicle-support technology.
Research Outpost
Collect Engine Efficiency, then search the nearby worksite for Strike Armor.
Needler Nest
Take the Depth Module Mk. 1 data card and one available Haul Chassis fragment.
EVA Prep wreck
Bring a Repair Tool and collect the Photovoltaic Charger while completing other wreck objectives.
Metal Farms route
Finish Haul Chassis scans, collect the Cavitation Muffler, and gather the advanced inputs for deeper upgrades.
Root Canyon
Install the correct depth module before treating the lowest wrecks and controls as normal operating territory.
Field maintenance
Operate as if the vehicle must bring you home
A powered Tadpole provides oxygen, but hull damage, depleted power, crush depth, docking clearance, and parasites still need attention. Make those checks routine.Repair behind cover
Exit on the protected side of terrain, repair briefly, then move before the next attack cycle.
Watch crush depth
Hull damage below the safe limit is continuous. Turn upward immediately instead of trying to finish one more task.
Plan Power Cell recovery
Dock at a powered base or carry a charged replacement. Deep solar charging is not available.
Clear the hardpoint
Remove mounted equipment before docking the command module with a different chassis.
Treat parasites deliberately
If an Electric Geordie attaches, stop near cover and resolve it before power loss becomes an emergency.
Keep a return signal
The vehicle extends range, but a renamed habitat or beacon remains the safest route home.
Recommended configurations
Configure for the trip you are taking
Scout Ray handles uncertainty. Haul handles known logistics. Choose a depth module for the planned depth. Use the remaining slots for the route's danger, distance, and charging opportunities.Scout Ray Chassis
A balanced exploration build for wrecks, scans, and unfamiliar predator routes.
Scout Ray Chassis
Prioritizes speed, survivability, and range through Collector-controlled open water.
Haul Chassis
Moves large material batches between resource sites and powered construction hubs.
Haul Chassis
Carry repair supplies and spare power. Keep the vehicle above its displayed crush depth and plan deeper swimming separately.
Vehicle prepared