Biomes
Early Access features 6 biomes in the Ariadne Arm region. The final map will be larger than Subnautica 1 and Below Zero combined.
Kelp Forest
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 0 - 60m |
| Threat Level | 🟢 Safe |
| Key Resources | Titanium, Copper, Quartz, Salt, Lucifer Rotsac |
| Hostile Fauna | No large predators |
Starting area. Well-lit, dense with basic resources. Best place to salvage metal for Titanium.
Key Landmarks:
- Lifepod starting point
- Angel Comb (Digestion + Heat Tolerance sampling)
- Lucifer Rotsac farming area (heading 120°, ~84m)
Coral Gardens
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 0 - 200m |
| Threat Level | 🟡 Low-Medium |
| Key Resources | Quartz (abundant in coral domes), Silver, Gold, Sulfur, Copper, Lead |
| Hostile Fauna | Some aggressive small fauna |
The most important early-game resource zone. Luminous coral colonies, multiple sub-biomes:
| Sub-biome | Depth | Key Resources |
|---|---|---|
| Shallows | 0-50m | Quartz (Spider Dome has ~100 nodes) |
| Jelly Barrens | 50-200m | Copper, Necrolei Cysts |
| Anemone Hills | Shallow-mid | Silver, Heat Tolerance sampling |
| Sandstone Ridges | Shallow-mid | Lead (most reliable source) |
| Tufa Towers | Shallow-mid | Great Jaw leviathan, wreckages |
| Zezuran Desert | Mid, Hot Cave 200-250m | Gold, Sulfur, Lithium |
Quartz Farming
Coral Domes are orange sphere structures at 10-30m. Each yields 3-8 Quartz. The Spider Dome (heading 240-245°, ~220m from Lifepod) contains nearly 100 small Quartz nodes.
Sparse Plains
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 100 - 300m |
| Threat Level | 🔴 High |
| Key Resources | Copper, Titanium, Lead |
| Hostile Fauna | ☠ Collector Leviathan |
Open, featureless plains. Exclusive habitat of the Collector Leviathan.
Collector Leviathan Tactics
- 50m+ length, squid-like, 4 tentacles (grab/crush/swat/psi-wave)
- Cannot be killed (by design) — evade only
- Real-time AI dynamically evaluates your position
- Escape: Create 45,000 units of distance to trigger despawn, or use Decoy Flares
- Cross quickly in the Tadpole, do not linger
Hydrothermal Vents
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 150 - 300m+ |
| Threat Level | 🔴 High |
| Key Resources | Gold, Sulfur, Lithium (Zezuran Hot Cave purple crystals at 200-250m) |
| Hostile Fauna | Heat-adapted creatures |
Deep, high-temperature zone rich in minerals. Heat Tolerance gene required.
Overgrown Ruins (Axum Region)
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 200 - 400m+ |
| Threat Level | 🟠 Medium-High |
| Key Resources | Celestine, Atacamite, Conduit Crystal |
| Hostile Fauna | Needler Mango |
Ancient Altera structures overgrown with vegetation. Contains advanced blueprints and story clues. ~1,000m east of Lifepod.
| Area | Depth | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Axum Observatory | ~100-130m | Rosetta Stone, Needler Nest, Celestine |
| Power Plant | ~200m+ | Requires cybernetic adaptation |
| Roots Canyon | 300m+ | Colonist mining ruins, Dive Elevator access |
Travel Tip
When heading to the Ruins, stay near the seafloor to avoid Leviathans en route.
B Nomadic Edge
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | 250m+ |
| Threat Level | 🟠 Medium-High |
| Key Resources | Conduit Crystal, Strontium, Troilite (Meteoric Iron) |
| Hazard | Toxic water, mutated creatures |
B Nomadic-infected waters. Creatures show signs of mutation. Primary source of endgame resources.
The Void
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Depth | ∞ (bottomless) |
| Threat Level | ☠️ Certain Death |
| Resources | None |
| Hostile Fauna | Shiver Leviathan × packs |
Map edge ecological "end zone". Sexually dimorphic leviathans (females larger), pack hunters, depth ~5,000m.
DANGER
Do not attempt to explore The Void. It is the map boundary — death is immediate.