Subnautica 2 Biomes: Depths, Resources and Dangers (2026)

The Subnautica 2 biomes in the current Early Access build are spread across three regions, and exactly 750 meters separate the shallow starting zone from the deepest point you can reach. Once you know which biome sits in which depth band and what grows there, you stop searching the seafloor at random. This guide sorts every zone by region, depth, resources and danger.

This guide covers Early Access 1.2 "Buddy System", officially released on August 19, 2026, plus Hotfix 1 from September 1, 2026. Subnautica 2 is in Early Access on Windows PC and Xbox Series X|S. There is no PlayStation version.

One thing up front: Unknown Worlds has never published an official biome list. The Steam page only talks about "several biomes" and promises more with each major update. Every name, depth value and resource below comes from the community-run Subnautica wiki and is labeled as community data.

📍 Three Regions, Thirteen Zones

The ocean of Proteus isn't split into a flat list of biomes. It's divided into regions, and each region holds several biomes. That structure explains why the difficulty jumps in steps instead of rising smoothly with depth.

• Coral Gardens – the shallowest region and your starting area, in the west of the map. Eight biomes, from reef to thermal field.
• Karakorum Ruins – directly east of it, a former industrial Axum facility. Three biomes, all of them deep.
• Scorpius – to the northeast, so far only accessible as a small edge section and, according to the community wiki, the focus of the upcoming EA2 update.

On top of that, the Void surrounds the playable area. Together that makes thirteen biomes that actually exist in the current build.

📊 Subnautica 2 Biomes: Depths and Resources at a Glance

The depth values come from the individual biome pages of the community wiki. Where the wiki's own overview table lists different numbers, the row says so.

The biome names come from the game files, not from an official list. The patch notes for update 1.2 refer to the metal farm site as "Axum Metal Farms", so expect both names when you look things up.

🐚 Coral Gardens: Everything You Can Reach Without a Vehicle

The Shallows are where you start, and at 3 to 224 meters they go deeper than most players expect. The Lifepod, the Welcome Center and the colonist bunker "Anita's Garden" are all here, along with plenty of Titanium, Copper, Silver and Quartz. Seventeen species live here, and hardly any of them are dangerous.

The Necrolei Hills northwest of the Lifepod are the most important early stop, because Necrolei Cysts only grow there. They are the base ingredient for Strong Acid and therefore for every Power Cell. Careful: according to the community wiki, the striking drop-off at the edge of the hills is the current world border, not the way down.

The Dolerite Spires stand out with rock needles that reach above the surface. This is where you find your first Lithium, and according to the community wiki the only Great Jaw in the game lives here. Good to know before you run into it.

🔥 Graveyard: Heat as the Bouncer

The Graveyard is the first biome that actively locks you out. Sulfur and thermal vents turn the water a murky yellow-orange, and the vents deal damage until you have gained heat tolerance through a genetic adaptation. Without that adaptation the area is simply unusable.

In return, Gold, Silver and Sulfur sit close together, and the caves add Copper, Lithium, Salt and Titanium. Landmarks to orient yourself are Tailings Village at the main cave entrance and the Hot Cave Basecamp.

⚙️ Karakorum Ruins: The Deep Industrial Region

East of the starting region lies the old Axum facility, and from here on you need a vehicle like the Tadpole. The Overgrown Ruins are the shallowest part, recognizable by the Gateway Spires on the plateau. The way there crosses a trench patrolled by a Collector Leviathan.

The Karakorum Metal Farms at about 470 meters supply Atacamite, Troilite and Axum Bacterial Culture, plus the blueprint for the Metal Farm. This is the best tactical tip in this guide: the Collector Leviathan circles above the facility, but according to the community wiki it won't notice you as long as you stay below 350 meters. Hold that depth and you can work there undisturbed.

At 364 to 750 meters, the Root Canyon is the deepest accessible biome in the current build. It offers almost the full range of materials in one place, but combines heat vents and a cold zone with thirteen species, the Collector Leviathan among them.

🩸 What Kills You in Which Biome

The dangers line up neatly by depth. In the Coral Gardens the environment is harmless, and you lose dives almost only to an empty oxygen tank. From the Graveyard on, the environment itself takes over: heat first, cold later in the Root Canyon.

From the Karakorum region on, the Collector Leviathan is the defining creature, and in the Void it's the Shiver Leviathan. The Void surrounds the map on every side and isn't a secret shortcut but a hard edge. Swim into it and you immediately attract a Shiver Leviathan.

💡 The Order to Unlock the Subnautica 2 Biomes

The sensible route follows oxygen, heat tolerance and a vehicle, in exactly that order.

• Shallows and North Raceway: basic materials, your first base, no gear needed.
• Necrolei Hills and Plateaus: Necrolei Cysts for acid, Silver from the caves.
• Dolerite Spires: Lithium and with it Plasteel, your first step toward depth.
• Graveyard: only with heat tolerance, but it pays out Gold and Sulfur.
• Overgrown Ruins: only with a vehicle and the Sonic Resonator.
• Metal Farms and Root Canyon: endgame, depth modules required.

The bottleneck is rarely material. It's dive time.

🗓️ What Isn't in the Build Yet

Two biomes are documented on the community wiki but explicitly marked as planned: the Great Trench as a large crossing zone and Xanadu at the foot of the World Tree. Neither is playable in the current build.

Scorpius is mostly future content as well. The region sits at 360 to 660 meters, is heavily unfinished according to the community wiki and is sealed behind the Early Access barrier. In practice, only the Intermediary Basin is accessible, as the transition between the two finished regions.

One more point concerns the Lead Zone. The atoll exists, complete with a cave and a wreck, but according to the community wiki the resource spawns aren't active in the current build yet. If you follow the common tip to farm Lead there, you'll come back empty-handed for now.

🔤 Why Biome Names Are Hard to Pin Down

The biome names come from the game files, and you won't see them anywhere in the game as a label. There's no in-game map either. That makes it easy for wrong names to spread.

A file list read out of a developer vlog in July 2025 still circulates as well. Treat it with care: it doesn't match the current build one to one, so a name from that list is no proof that a zone is actually playable.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Subnautica 2 Biomes

How many Subnautica 2 biomes are there right now?
Thirteen in the current Early Access build, spread across the Coral Gardens, Karakorum Ruins and Scorpius regions plus the Void. The Great Trench and Xanadu are planned but not playable.

Which biome is the deepest?
The Root Canyon in the Karakorum region, at 364 to 750 meters. The community wiki lists it as the deepest accessible biome in the current build.

Why can't I find Lead in the Lead Zone?
According to the community wiki, the resource spawns there aren't active in the current build yet. The geometry is there, the material isn't. Get your Lead from the Overgrown Ruins instead.

When do I need a vehicle?
For the Karakorum Ruins at the latest. You can cover the entire Coral Gardens by swimming as soon as your oxygen supply is large enough.

How do I avoid the Collector Leviathan at the Metal Farms?
Stay below 350 meters. According to the community wiki, it patrols above that mark and won't notice you below it.

Are the depth values official?
No. Unknown Worlds hasn't published an official biome list, and the community wiki's individual pages partly differ from its own overview table. In Early Access, values can shift with every update.

As of: October 8, 2026, game version Early Access 1.2 "Buddy System" from August 19, 2026 plus Hotfix 1 from September 1, 2026, including its follow-up fix of September 3. No newer patch had been released by then. Only the version number and release date of the update (via unknownworlds.com) and the Steam store's statement that Early Access contains "several biomes" with more to come are officially confirmed.

Community data, and therefore not officially confirmed: all biome and region names, all depth values, the resources, the danger assignments, the Collector Leviathan's 350-meter limit and the note about inactive spawns in the Lead Zone. The source is the community-run Subnautica wiki at wiki.subnautica.com, pages retrieved on September 14, 2026. Subnautica 2 has no official wiki.