Subnautica 2 Resources Guide
Every material in the game — where it spawns, which biomes to target, what it crafts into, and the fastest way to stock up. Updated for Early Access 2026.
Understanding the Resource System
Subnautica 2 uses a tiered resource system where raw materials feed into refined materials, which in turn feed into tools and base components. Knowing which tier you need — and where to get it — is the difference between a smooth playthrough and hours of confusion.
Raw minerals like titanium, copper, and quartz are abundant near the surface and respawn over time. The further you go — depth, distance from your starting zone, into cave systems — the rarer and more valuable materials become. Conduit Crystals, Necrolei Cysts, and Kyanite don't exist in the shallows. They require preparation: depth upgrades, proper tools, and knowledge of where to look.
Organic materials introduce another layer. These are harvested from creatures and deep-sea plants rather than mined. Creature Enamel drops from armored fauna. Fibrous Pulp comes from kelp stalks below 200m. Necrolei Cysts require a direct, careful encounter with one of the game's most dangerous territorial predators. The Bioscanner is essential here — it highlights harvestable organic nodes and identifies creature drops before you commit to an approach.
Refined materials are crafted, not found. Titanium Ingots (10× titanium), Plasteel Ingots, Enameled Glass, and Strong Acid are all Fabricator outputs that the game frequently demands in bulk. Plan your material runs with these downstream requirements in mind — it saves a lot of back-and-forth.
Rarity Guide
Spawns everywhere — shallows to mid-depth. Respawns quickly. No special tools needed. Examples: titanium, copper, quartz, salt.
Requires targeted biomes or specific depth. Present but not abundant. Examples: silver, gold, sulfur, creature enamel.
Deep biomes only, specific creature or cave. Requires preparation and risk. Examples: conduit crystal, necrolei cyst, kyanite.
Minerals
Ores and crystalline deposits found in rock formations and ocean floors across all depth bands.
Silver Ore
uncommonA lustrous metallic ore found in rocky outcroppings. Essential for crafting advanced electronics and wiring kits.
Lead
commonA dense, soft metal used in radiation shielding and hull plating. Found in sandstone outcroppings.
Gold
uncommonA rare, precious ore with high conductivity. Critical for advanced electronics.
Salt Deposit
commonWhite crystalline deposits used in water purification and basic food crafting.
Quartz
commonTransparent crystalline silicate used to craft glass and optical components.
Sulfur
uncommonA yellow crystalline mineral found near hydrothermal activity. Used in propulsion and explosives.
Conduit Crystal
rareAn alien bioluminescent crystal that channels energy. Found in deep biomes and certain creature-inhabited caves.
Organic Materials
Biological materials harvested from creatures and deep-sea plants. Often require specific tools or biome knowledge.
Fibrous Pulp
uncommonDense plant fiber harvested from deep-sea vegetation. Used in bio-based crafting recipes.
Creature Enamel
uncommonHard biological enamel shed by armored deep-sea creatures. A versatile material for protective crafting.
Necrolei Cyst
rareA toxic biological cyst harvested from the Necrolei creature. Used in advanced bio-engineering recipes.
Refined Materials
Processed materials crafted at the Fabricator from raw inputs. Required for advanced equipment.
General Resource Farming Tips
Always carry your Bioscanner on resource runs. It highlights ore nodes and organic harvestables through low visibility and dark cave environments.
Resources respawn over time in Subnautica 2. Don't exhaust an area trying to get the last node — move on and come back after a few in-game days.
Cave systems inside biomes almost always contain higher concentrations of that biome's primary mineral. The Grassy Plateaus caves have 3× more silver than the open floor above.
Craft a Seaglide before any dedicated resource run. Swimming by hand is painfully slow. Covering twice the ground means twice the resources per dive.
Set up a small outpost base with a few storage lockers at the midpoint of long resource runs. Drop off heavy loads rather than swimming back to base repeatedly.
Organic materials from creatures only drop once per creature encounter. If you need Necrolei Cysts in bulk, you need to find multiple Necrolei territories, not revisit the same one.