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Subnautica 2 crafting is the engine that drives every stage of your survival. Unlike most survival games, there are no quest markers pointing you to the next recipe — you discover blueprints by scanning objects, exploring wrecks, and reading PDA entries. This guide compiles every verified recipe in the Early Access version (as of May 2026), with exact material counts and where to find each ingredient.
The crafting system revolves around five main stations: the Fabricator (instant crafting of tools and consumables), the Processor (refines ingots and advanced materials with real-time delay), the Modification Station (upgrade modules), the Habitat Builder (base construction), and the Vehicle Fabricator (builds the Tadpole submarine).
How Crafting Works in Subnautica 2
Subnautica 2's crafting system is blueprint-gated: you must first unlock a recipe before you can craft it. Blueprints unlock through three main methods:
- Scanning fragments of an item with your Scanner tool — usually requires 2–4 fragments of the same object
- Reading certain PDA entries, which automatically grant related recipes
- Exploring specific biomes or data terminals that auto-unlock advanced blueprints
Once a blueprint is unlocked, open the appropriate crafting station and select the item. Materials are consumed from your inventory. The Fabricator crafts instantly. The Processor has a real-time delay — approximately 30 seconds for a Titanium Ingot and up to 2 minutes for complex items.
Crafting Stations Explained
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🪨Titanium×1
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🟡Copper×1
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🔷Quartz×1
Crafts instantly. The lifepod Fabricator is intentionally limited — build a new one in your base for full access.
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🪨Titanium×2
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🧪Mild Acid×1
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🟡Copper Wire×1
Real-time delay: ~30s per Titanium Ingot, up to ~2min for complex items. Unlock by scanning broken Processor in the world.
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🪨Titanium×2
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💎Celestine×2
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🟡Copper×2
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🪨Titanium×2
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🔵Glass×1
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🔋Basic Battery×1
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🟡Copper Wire×1
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🪨Titanium Ingot×2
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🟡Copper Ingot×1
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🔵Glass×2
Priority Recipes — Craft These First
Not all recipes are created equal. These are the items you should craft in your first 1–3 hours, in rough order of importance:
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🪨Titanium×3Break limestone outcrops (grey rock formations) with your hands first
Craft this immediately. Without it you cannot efficiently break limestone outcrops to get Titanium and Copper.
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🪨Titanium×2Limestone outcrops, 0–50m
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🔷Quartz×1White/semi-transparent crystal clusters — pick up by hand, not from outcrops
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🔋Basic Battery×1Crafted: 2× Copper + 1× Acidic Raion Pouch
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🪨Titanium×2Limestone outcrops, 0–50m
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🔷Quartz×2Freestanding white crystal clusters — picked up by hand
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🔋Basic Battery×1Crafted: 2× Copper + 1× Acidic Raion Pouch
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🪨Titanium×2Limestone outcrops
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🟤Rubber×1Crafted: 2× Lucifer Rotsac (harvested plant)
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⬜Silver×2Limestone outcrops
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🪨Titanium×2Limestone outcrops
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🔵Glass×1Crafted: 2× Quartz → Glass (Fabricator)
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🔋Basic Battery×1Crafted: 2× Copper + 1× Acidic Raion Pouch
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🟡Copper Wire×1Crafted: 2× Copper
Core Components (Glass, Wire, Chips, Acids)
These intermediate components are required by dozens of recipes. Learn them early — always keep a stock of them.
| Component | Station | Recipe | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glass | Fabricator | Quartz ×2 | Quartz = freestanding white crystal clusters, picked up by hand |
| Basic Battery | Fabricator | Copper ×2 + Acidic Raion Pouch ×1 | Acidic Raion Pouch is a creature drop/resource — NOT just Copper + Sulfur |
| Copper Wire | Fabricator | Copper ×2 | Very common requirement — always keep a stack |
| Rubber | Fabricator | Lucifer Rotsac ×2 | Lucifer Rotsac is a harvested plant/creature resource in the world |
| Fiber | Fabricator | Fibrous Pulp ×2 | Intermediate material for Fiber Mesh |
| Fiber Mesh | Fabricator | Fiber ×2 + Strong Acid ×1 | Used in Rebreather, protective gear |
| Wiring Kit | Fabricator | Silver ×1 + Copper Wire ×1 | Silver from limestone outcrops |
| System Chip | Fabricator | Wiring Kit ×1 + Quartz ×2 | Required for Rebreather, advanced tools |
| Strong Acid | Fabricator or Processor | Necrolei Cyst ×2 (Fabricator) OR Sulfur ×1 + Gold ×1 (Processor only) | Processor method requires the Processor to be unlocked first |
| Titanium Ingot | Processor | Titanium ×3 | ~30 second real-time delay. Gates many mid/late-game recipes. |
| Plasteel Ingot | Processor | Titanium ×2 + Lithium ×1 | Lithium from limestone outcrops |
Survival Tools Recipes
These tools expand your capabilities for exploration and survival. Recipes below are wiki-verified for the current Early Access build.
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🧶Fiber Mesh×2Crafted: Fiber ×2 + Strong Acid ×1
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💾System Chip×1Crafted: Wiring Kit + Quartz ×2
Essential for diving below 100m. Eliminates the depth O2 penalty multiplier entirely.
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🟤Rubber×2Crafted: 2× Lucifer Rotsac each
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🧶Fiber×2Crafted: 2× Fibrous Pulp each
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🪨Titanium×2Limestone outcrops
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🟤Rubber×1Crafted: 2× Lucifer Rotsac
Rapidly propels you to the surface in an emergency. Highly recommended for deep dives.
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🪨Titanium×3Limestone outcrops
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🪨Lithium×2Limestone outcrops
Deploy this underwater to create a local air refill point. Useful for extended cave exploration without a base nearby.
Equipment & Gear Recipes
Wearable equipment dramatically changes how long and how deep you can explore. All recipes below are wiki-verified. For unconfirmed items, check your in-game scanner log.
| Item | Station | Verified Recipe | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Fins | Fabricator | Rubber ×2 + Fiber ×2 | Increased swim speed |
| Rebreather | Fabricator | Fiber Mesh ×2 + System Chip ×1 | Eliminates depth O2 penalty |
| Standard Air Tank | Fabricator | Titanium ×2 + Rubber ×1 + Silver ×2 | Extended oxygen capacity (Tier 1) |
| High Capacity Air Tank | Modification Station | Standard Air Tank ×1 + Plasteel Ingot ×1 | Larger O2 reserve (Tier 2) — consumes Standard Tank |
| Ultra High Capacity Air Tank | Modification Station | High Capacity Air Tank ×1 + Troilite ×3 + Atacamite ×3 | Maximum O2 reserve (Tier 3) — consumes High Capacity Tank |
| Air Bladder | Fabricator | Titanium ×2 + Rubber ×1 | Emergency rapid surface ascent |
| Habitat Builder | Fabricator | Titanium ×2 + Glass ×1 + Basic Battery ×1 + Copper Wire ×1 | Base construction tool |
| Portable O2 Generator | Fabricator | Titanium ×3 + Lithium ×2 | Deployable underwater air source |
| Other gear | — | Check in-game scanner | Additional gear unlocked via scanning |
Advanced & Late-Game Recipes
These recipes require mid-to-late-game materials. The Tadpole is the main vehicle in Subnautica 2 Early Access.
| Item | Station | Verified Recipe | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium Ingot | Processor | Titanium ×3 | ~30s delay. Gates vehicle and base recipes. |
| Plasteel Ingot | Processor | Titanium ×2 + Lithium ×1 | Lithium from limestone outcrops |
| Strong Acid | Fabricator / Processor | Necrolei Cyst ×2 (Fabricator) OR Sulfur ×1 + Gold ×1 (Processor) | Required for Fiber Mesh |
| Tadpole (submarine) | Vehicle Fabricator | Titanium Ingot ×2 + Glass ×1 + System Chip ×1 + Power Cell ×1 | Primary exploration vehicle in Early Access |
| Other advanced items | — | Check in-game scanner | Unlock via scanning fragments in the world |
Titanium ×2 + Lithium ×1. They gate the High Capacity Air Tank and other mid-game recipes. Lithium is found in limestone outcrops alongside Titanium and Copper — always collect it when you see it.
Raw Materials Location Table
Use this reference table to find any material you need. These locations are verified for the current Early Access build.
| Material | Primary Source | How to Collect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium | Limestone outcrops (grey rock formations) | Break with Survival Multitool | NOT found loose on the seafloor — must break outcrops |
| Copper | Limestone outcrops AND glowing cave wall/ceiling nodes | Break outcrops or interact with cave nodes | Cave under lifepod is best early spot |
| Quartz | Freestanding white/semi-transparent crystal clusters | Picked up by hand — NOT from outcrops | Found on sand and cave walls |
| Silver | Limestone outcrops | Break with Survival Multitool | Same outcrop type as Titanium and Copper |
| Lithium | Limestone outcrops | Break with Survival Multitool | Always collect when seen — needed for Plasteel Ingots |
| Rubber | Crafted item — not a raw ore | Craft from 2× Lucifer Rotsac | Lucifer Rotsac is a harvestable plant/creature resource |
| Glass | Crafted item — not a raw ore | Craft from 2× Quartz (Fabricator) | Always keep Quartz stocked for on-demand Glass |
| Fiber | Crafted item | Craft from 2× Fibrous Pulp | Fibrous Pulp is a harvestable plant resource |
| Mild Acid | Found in world | Harvested from creatures or environment | Needed for Processor recipe |
| Acidic Raion Pouch | Creature drop / resource in world | Harvested from specific creatures | Required for Basic Battery — check scanner for location |
| Lucifer Rotsac | Plant/creature resource in world | Harvested directly | Required for Rubber (2× per Rubber) |
| Fibrous Pulp | Plant resource in world | Harvested from specific plants | Required for Fiber → Fiber Mesh chain |
| Necrolei Cyst | Creature/plant resource in world | Harvested from specific source | Easiest source of Strong Acid (Fabricator method) |
| Celestine | Found in world | Collected from environment | Needed for Modification Station recipe |
Crafting Tips & Tricks
Build a Base Fabricator Early
The lifepod Fabricator is intentionally limited — you will hit the "Requires Fully Functional Fabricator" error constantly until you build a base with a proper Fabricator installed. Prioritize getting a base with a real Fabricator as soon as possible. The Habitat Builder recipe requires: Titanium ×2 + Glass ×1 + Basic Battery ×1 + Copper Wire ×1.
Processor Timing — Queue Smart
The Processor has real-time delays (~30 seconds per Titanium Ingot, up to 2 minutes for complex items). Start processing runs before you go out to collect more materials — let it run while you dive. Never stand and wait for it.
Upgrade in Order — Tank Chain Never Skips
The oxygen tank upgrade line is a consuming chain: Standard Air Tank → High Capacity Air Tank → Ultra High Capacity Air Tank. Each step consumes the previous tank. You cannot skip tiers. Budget for this when planning material collection.
Batch Your Resource Runs
Before a resource run, plan exactly what you need. Count required quantities for all your planned recipes, add a 20% buffer, and collect everything in one dive. Context-switching between crafting and diving is the biggest time sink for beginners.