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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 known 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 three main stations: the Fabricator (your portable starting station), the Modification Station (for upgrades), and the Vehicle Bay (for vehicles). Each station has its own exclusive recipe pool, so knowing which station crafts what is half the battle.
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 Alien Data Terminals that auto-unlock advanced blueprints
Once a blueprint is unlocked, open the appropriate crafting station and select the item. Materials are consumed directly from your inventory. There is no crafting queue — items craft one at a time in a few seconds.
Raw materials in Subnautica 2 fall into several categories. Basic ores like Titanium and Copper are abundant in shallow biomes and form the backbone of early crafting. Advanced minerals like Magnetite and Lithium appear at mid depths (100–300m) and gate mid-game recipes. Exotic resources like Kyanite and Uraninite require deep-sea exploration (400m+) and unlock late-game technology.
Crafting Stations Explained
Available from the start in your escape pod. Crafts survival tools, basic equipment, food, water, and base components. You can also install one in your base. Most early-game recipes use this station.
Unlocked after base-building. Used to craft tank upgrades, fins improvements, and equipment modifications. Essential for mid-game oxygen and depth upgrades.
Installed in your base's Moonpool. Crafts depth modules, sonar, torpedo systems, and propulsion upgrades for your vehicles. Required for deep-sea exploration.
A deployable device that lets you construct the Seamoth and Prawn Suit. You deploy it at the surface and select a vehicle blueprint. The Seamoth is the first vehicle most players build.
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×1Orange rocks, 0–50m depth, near spawn
Doubles your oxygen capacity. Craft this the moment you have a single Titanium — it is the most impactful first-minute item in the game.
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🪨Titanium×1Orange rocks, 0–50m, all biomes
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🟠Silicone Rubber×1Creepvine seed clusters, Kelp Forest
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🪨Titanium×1Orange rocks, 0–50m
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🔋Battery×1Crafted: Copper ×2 + Acid Mushroom ×2
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🟡Copper Ore×1Green-spotted rocks, 0–100m
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🪨Titanium×1Orange rocks, 0–50m
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🔋Battery×1Crafted: Copper ×2 + Acid Mushroom ×2
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🔵Glass×1Crafted from Quartz (white rocks, 0–100m)
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🟡Coral Tube Sample×1Orange coral tubes, 0–50m, Safe Shallows
Your escape pod also auto-produces one medkit every 30 in-game minutes. Don't neglect to pick them up.
Survival Tools Recipes
These tools expand your capabilities for exploration, hunting, and navigation. Most are mid-priority — craft after securing oxygen and your scanner.
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🔵Magnetite×4Mountains Biome, 100–250m depth
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🔵Glass×2Crafted from Quartz
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🪨Titanium×20–100m, all biomes
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🔋Battery×1Crafted
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🔪Survival Knife×1Already crafted
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🔋Battery×1Crafted
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🔵Magnetite×2Mountains Biome, 100–250m
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🪨Titanium×20–100m
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🔋Battery×1Crafted
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🫁Standard O₂ Tank×1Already crafted
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🔵Lithium×3Grand Reef, 150–300m depth
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🪨Titanium Ingot×1Crafted: 10× Titanium → 1× Ingot
Equipment & Gear Recipes
Wearable equipment dramatically changes how long and how deep you can explore. Prioritize fins and tank upgrades before trying to reach mid-game depth zones.
| Item | Station | Key Materials | Effect | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fins | Fabricator | Silicone Rubber ×2 | +15% swim speed | Early |
| Ultra Glide Fins | Mod Station | Fins + Lithium ×2 | +35% swim speed | Mid |
| Rebreather | Fabricator | Wiring Kit + Rubber ×2 | Stops O₂ deep penalty | Mid |
| Radiation Suit | Fabricator | Fiber Mesh ×2 + Lead ×2 | Protects near Aurora wreck | Mid |
| Reinforced Dive Suit | Mod Station | Diamond ×2 + Titanium ×2 | Damage reduction vs creatures | Late |
| Compass | Fabricator | Copper Wire ×1 + Wiring Kit ×1 | Shows direction on HUD | Early |
| Depth Module Mk1 | Mod Station | Titanium ×3 + Glass ×2 | Seamoth depth +100m | Mid |
| Depth Module Mk2 | Mod Station | Mk1 + Plasteel ×3 | Seamoth depth +200m | Late |
Base Components Recipes
Building a functional base requires a mix of structural components and equipment modules. Below are the most important base pieces and their recipes.
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🪨Titanium×2
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🟤Lead×1Dark grey rocks with radiation symbol, 50–150m
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🔵Glass×2Crafted from Quartz
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🔵Quartz×2White rocks, 0–100m, Safe Shallows
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🪨Titanium×30–100m, all biomes
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🪨Titanium×1
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🔵Gold×2Shale outcrops, 100–250m
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🟡Copper Wire×1Crafted: 2× Copper Ore
Note: All base pieces are built using the Builder Tool (also called the Habitat Builder). The Builder Tool itself requires: Wiring Kit ×1 + Computer Chip ×1 from the Fabricator. The Wiring Kit requires Silver Ore ×2, and the Computer Chip requires Table Coral ×2 + Copper Wire ×1 + Gold ×1 + Titanium ×1.
Advanced & Late-Game Recipes
Late-game recipes require exotic materials from deep biomes (300m+). These unlock the most powerful tools and vehicles in Subnautica 2.
| Item | Station | Key Materials | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seamoth | Mobile Vehicle Bay | Titanium Ingot ×1 + Glass ×2 + Lubricant ×1 + Power Cell ×1 | First personal submarine — go to 200m |
| PRAWN Suit | Mobile Vehicle Bay | Plasteel Ingot ×2 + Aerogel ×2 + Enameled Glass ×1 + Titanium ×5 | Hardsuit for extreme depths (500m+) |
| Cyclops | Mobile Vehicle Bay | Plasteel Ingot ×3 + Enameled Glass ×3 + Lead ×5 | Mobile submarine base — go to 500m base |
| Laser Cutter | Fabricator | Diamond ×2 + Titanium ×2 + Battery ×1 + Cave Sulfur ×2 | Required to access Aurora wreck interior |
| Ion Power Cell | Mod Station | Power Cell + Ion Crystal ×2 | 10x power capacity vs normal cells |
| Nuclear Reactor | Builder Tool | Plasteel Ingot ×3 + Lead ×5 + Advanced Wiring Kit ×1 | Infinite base power without sunlight |
| Terraformer | Fabricator | Titanium ×3 + Computer Chip ×1 + Battery ×1 | Reshape terrain (limited use in Early Access) |
Titanium Ingot ×1 + Lithium ×2. They are gating items for many late-game recipes. Farm Lithium in the Grand Reef (150–300m) to ensure a steady Plasteel supply before attempting big builds.
Raw Materials Location Table
Use this reference table to find any material you need. Depth ranges are approximate — exact spawn locations vary between seeds.
| Material | Depth Range | Biome / Source | Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Titanium | 0–200m | All biomes (orange rocks) | Ore + Shale outcrops |
| Copper Ore | 0–200m | All biomes (green-spotted rocks) | Ore + outcrops |
| Quartz | 0–200m | Safe Shallows, Kelp Forest | White crystalline rocks |
| Silver Ore | 50–300m | Grassy Plateaus, Underwater Islands | Shale outcrops |
| Gold | 100–350m | Shale outcrops, Mushroom Forest | Shale outcrops |
| Lithium | 100–400m | Grand Reef, Underwater Islands | Lavender rocks |
| Magnetite | 100–300m | Mountains Biome, Koosh Zone | Dark volcanic rocks |
| Lead | 50–200m | All mid biomes | Grey rocks |
| Diamond | 200–500m | Blood Kelp, Grand Reef | Shale outcrops + large outcrops |
| Kyanite | 600–900m | Inactive Lava Zone | Blue crystals on cave walls |
| Uraninite | 400–700m | Mountains, Crag Field | Green-glowing rocks |
| Ion Crystal | 800m+ | Alien structures, Active Lava Zone | Alien containers |
| Nickel Ore | 300–600m | Lost River | Rocks on Lost River floor |
| Cave Sulfur | 0–200m | Crash Zone, from Crashfish nests | Drop from Crashfish |
| Acid Mushroom | 0–100m | Safe Shallows, Kelp Forest | Mushroom-type fauna |
| Creepvine | 50–200m | Kelp Forest | Long vine strands |
| Table Coral | 0–100m | Safe Shallows | Flat coral formations |
Crafting Tips & Tricks
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.
Upgrade in Order — Never Skip Tiers
The oxygen tank upgrade line (Standard → Large → High Capacity) must be followed in order. Trying to unlock the High Capacity tank without the Large tank wastes time. The same applies to vehicle depth modules — always Mk1 before Mk2.
Creepvine Seeds vs. Creepvine Samples
Creepvine Seeds (from the large glowing bulbs) make Silicone Rubber. Creepvine Samples (from the vine strand itself, cut with a knife) make Fiber Mesh. These are different resources with different uses — many beginners confuse them. The Kelp Forest provides both in abundance.
Shale Outcrops Are Treasure Chests
Shale outcrops drop random minerals, but their loot table is weighted toward the rarer items — Gold, Silver, and Lithium are all more common from Shale than from bare ore deposits. Whenever you find a cluster of Shale outcrops, harvest all of them immediately even if you don't need the minerals yet.
The Alien Containment Room
Once you reach mid-game, build an Alien Containment room in your base. This lets you farm fish without depleting the ocean. Place 2 of any fish species and they will breed, giving you an infinite supply of food (and in some cases, crafting materials like Gel Sacks for Aerogel).