Biomes
What we expect from each part of the Subnautica 2 ocean. Some of this is series pattern, some is from trailers, all of it gets corrected once we are diving the real build.
Pre-launch read. Unknown Worlds has shown new biomes in trailers (neon coral, volcanic zones, abyssal trenches) but kept names and locations vague on purpose. Treat this page as a planning scaffold. Specific names, exact depths, and creature listings land after May 14.
📏
Depth range
Shallow to abyssal zones
🪨
Major resources
What to farm in each zone
⚠️
Creature risk
Threat level and known fauna
🏗️
Base viability
Safe spots to build
🗺️
Landmarks
Navigation reference points
🔒
Progression gates
What you need to enter
Biome categories we expect
Pattern-matched from original Subnautica, Below Zero, and what trailers have shown.
| Category | What it looks like | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Shallow safe zone | Sunlit reefs, scannable flora, low-threat fauna | Where every Subnautica run starts. Air, beginner resources, recipe scans, and rare danger. Expect 0 to about 50 m of depth. |
| Mid-depth transition | Twilight terrain, jellyfish drifts, kelp-style growth | Visibility drops, oxygen tension begins. Mid-tier predators start showing up. The first real depth-upgrade gate. |
| Deep biomes | Volcanic vents, glowing trenches, alien architecture | Past 200 m. Crush depth becomes the wall. High-value resources and leviathan-class creatures coexist here. |
| Abyssal zone | Pressure-zone darkness, unknown architecture | Endgame territory. In the original Subnautica this was the void / lost river / lava zone. Here, mostly speculation until launch. |
| Base-friendly spots | Flat rock shelves near multiple biomes | Power, hatches, and exits matter as much as biome itself. The original taught us to build on the edge of two zones, not deep inside one. |
| Story biomes | Narrative-locked locations | Tied to scans, signals, or PDA quests. Avoid spoiling them in your own notes before EA progression makes them obvious. |
How to explore on launch night
Whatever the biomes are called, the safe play stays the same.
Treat hour one as mapping, not deep diving. The first big death wastes the run.
Drop a beacon on your base before pushing past visible distance from spawn.
When visibility drops or new fauna appears, you have crossed into a new zone. Slow down.
Note depth and resources by zone in a real document. Memory loses to a leviathan ambush.
Zone identity
Each biome should feel distinct by depth, resources, and risk.
Safe exits
Base access and emergency oxygen points matter as much as landmarks.
Related biome pages
Use these pages to connect exploration zones with materials, creatures, and first-session plans.