In Subnautica 2, resources, materials and food are the everyday supplies you collect, craft and eat to keep going. Raw resources like Copper, Silver and Quartz come from caves and the seabed, and the Fabricator and Processor turn them into the parts you need. Food and drink come from the fish, slugs and plants around you, and each group has a clear job in keeping you alive and your gear working.
Type
Raw resource
Titanium
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Gather loose pieces or metal salvage along starter routes and around the seabed.
- Used For
- General construction material; also processed into Titanium Ingots.
Copper
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Search cave roofs, overhangs and shadowed crevices, including the cave near Old Habitat.
- Used For
- Make Copper Wire and Basic Batteries, or use it in Mild Acid and Copper Ingots.
Silver
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Follow the Colonist Bunker 1 route from Angel Comb through the marked cave to the Silver area.
- Used For
- Make Standard Air Tanks and Wiring Kits; spare Silver can be processed into Silver Ingots.
Gold
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- After unlocking Heat Tolerance, search the rocks around the crashed colony ship in the volcanic region east of the Lifepod.
- Used For
- Use it in Advanced Wiring Kits and Strong Acid, or process it into Gold Ingots.
Quartz
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Search shallow coral, caves and seabed routes near the starting area.
- Used For
- Make Glass and System Chips; reserve some for early scan and base recipes.
Lead
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Follow the blue current northeast of the Lifepod into the ravine and search the sand beyond the colony platform.
- Used For
- Reserve the first two pieces for the Sonic Resonator; the Processor can also turn two Lead into Germanium.
Salt
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Search the small cave beside Chap habitat southeast of the Lifepod, near the pillar with a standing light.
- Used For
- One Salt is used for a Power Cell, Isotonic Water or Nutrient Block; the Processor also converts two Salt into Glass.
Sulfur
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Collect loose Sulfur at the rock pillar southeast of the Lifepod, past the Welcome Center near Coral Crabs.
- Used For
- Use it for the Repair Tool, Advanced Wiring Kits and the Processor recipe for Strong Acid.
Lithium
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Find the first piece on the table outside the ruined colony building near the Great Jaw southwest of the Lifepod; later pieces are in prepared hot caves.
- Used For
- Use it with Titanium in the Processor to make Plasteel Ingots.
Celestine
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Search southeast of the Alien Ruins Research Base, near the Needler nest.
- Used For
- Use it for Tadpole depth progression and Processor-made Strontium.
Atacamite
- Source
- Sonic Resonator deposits
- How to Get It
- Travel east-northeast from the Alien Ruins Research Station toward the lower mineral cluster with a Sonic Resonator.
- Used For
- Combine one Atacamite, one Troilite and one Titanium Ingot in the Processor for an Axum Ingot.
Troilite
- Source
- Gathered
- How to Get It
- Search the deep Metal Farm area beyond Alien Ruins.
- Used For
- Use it in Axum Ingots and Entangled Power Cells.
Conduit Crystal
- Source
- Sonic Resonator deposits
- How to Get It
- Follow the Alien Ruins Research Base route toward Angel Comb below the Alien Power Plant; bring a Sonic Resonator.
- Used For
- Use it for the Bioscanner, Feedback Resonator, Advanced Battery and Entangled Power Cell.
Pent
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Harvest it from the seabed in the Plateaus.
- Used For
- Process three Pents into a Biofuel Block; Pents also feed a Processor recipe for Mild Acid.
Type
Crafted component
Basic Battery
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Copper and one Acidic Raion Pouch.
- Used For
- Powers starter tools and is an input to Power Cells and other equipment recipes.
Copper Wire
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Copper.
- Used For
- Used in Wiring Kits, System Chips and several station recipes.
Wiring Kit
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Silver and one Copper Wire.
- Used For
- Used in electronics and equipment recipes, including the System Chip and Advanced Wiring Kit.
Advanced Wiring Kit
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Wiring Kit, one Gold and one Sulfur.
- Used For
- Used for the Dedicated Core and advanced vehicle components.
System Chip
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Wiring Kit and two Quartz.
- Used For
- Used in electronics and Scanner Station crafting.
Glass
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Quartz.
- Used For
- Used in habitat recipes and Enameled Glass.
Enameled Glass
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Glass and one Creature Enamel.
- Used For
- Used in advanced scanning equipment.
Titanium Ingot
- Source
- Fabricator or Processor
- How to Get It
- Process Titanium at the Fabricator or Processor; the Processor recipe uses three Titanium and the Fabricator recipe uses five.
- Used For
- Used in repairs, advanced construction and alloy chains.
Plasteel Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- At the Processor, combine two Titanium and one Lithium.
- Used For
- Used for the High Capacity Air Tank and later upgrades.
Copper Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- Process Copper at the Processor.
- Used For
- Used in power and base construction recipes.
Silver Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- Process Silver at the Processor.
- Used For
- One Silver Ingot is an ingredient in an Advanced Battery.
Gold Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- Process Gold at the Processor.
- Used For
- Used in an Entangled Power Cell and advanced crafting.
Germanium Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- At the Processor, combine two Lead or two Silver for one Germanium.
- Used For
- Used in advanced equipment crafting.
Axum Ingot
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- At the Processor, combine one Titanium Ingot, one Atacamite and one Troilite.
- Used For
- Used for the Metal Farm and other late upgrades.
Fiber
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Fibrous Pulp.
- Used For
- Used for Fiber Mesh and early crafting.
Fiber Mesh
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Fiber and one Strong Acid.
- Used For
- Used by the Rebreather and Improved Fins.
Rubber
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Lucifer Rotsacs.
- Used For
- Used for Basic Fins, the Air Bladder and Standard Air Tank.
Grease
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- At the Processor, combine two Halfmoons.
- Used For
- Used in the Wakemaker recipe.
Mild Acid
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Acidic Raion Pouches and one Copper.
- Used For
- Used to construct the Processor.
Strong Acid
- Source
- Fabricator or Processor
- How to Get It
- Make it at the Fabricator from two Necrolei Cysts, or at the Processor from one Sulfur and one Gold.
- Used For
- Used in Power Cells, Dedicated Cores and advanced batteries.
Power Cell
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine two Basic Batteries, one Strong Acid and one Salt.
- Used For
- Stores power for vehicle and base systems.
Biofuel Block
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- Process five Fibrous Pulp, three Pents, or two Crab Feces in the Processor.
- Used For
- Fuel a bioreactor or combine one with Salt to craft a Nutrient Block.
Advanced Battery
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Conduit Crystal, one Strong Acid and one Silver Ingot.
- Used For
- A higher-capacity power source for compatible tools.
Entangled Power Cell
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Conduit Crystal, one Strong Acid, one Gold Ingot and one Troilite.
- Used For
- A higher-capacity power source for compatible vehicles.
Dedicated Core
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Advanced Wiring Kit, two Quartz and one Strong Acid.
- Used For
- Used for Tadpole depth and haul components and the Scout Ray chassis.
Strontium
- Source
- Processor
- How to Get It
- Process Celestine in the Processor.
- Used For
- Used for Tadpole upgrades and other advanced crafting.
Type
Biological
Acidic Raion Pouch
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Use the Survival Multitool to harvest pouches from Acidic Raions in the cave below the Lifepod or a nearby east cave.
- Used For
- One pouch combines with two Copper for a Basic Battery; two pouches and one Copper make Mild Acid.
Fibrous Pulp
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Harvest the nearby plant sources along the Lifepod first-hour route.
- Used For
- Two Fibrous Pulp make one Fiber; three can make Water at the Processor, and pulp is used for Oily Salad.
Lucifer Rotsac
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Search the rocky archway southwest of the Lifepod near Cradle Shootroots.
- Used For
- Two Rotsacs make Rubber, while one makes Grease.
Medical Gel Sac
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Harvest the central plug of an Acidic Raion after removing its pouches.
- Used For
- Combine one Medical Gel Sac and one Fiber for an Enhanced First Aid Kit.
Necrolei Cyst
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Follow the Necrolei Cyst route around the Old Habitat and Jelly Lei landmarks.
- Used For
- Two Cysts make Strong Acid at the Fabricator.
Creature Enamel
- Source
- Sonic Resonator deposits
- How to Get It
- Search the deposit field southeast of the Alien Ruins Research Base and use a Sonic Resonator on supported deposits.
- Used For
- Combine one Creature Enamel with one Glass at the Fabricator to make Enameled Glass.
Axum Bacterial Culture
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Follow the deep Metal Farm route after reaching Alien Ruins.
- Used For
- One culture and one Axum Ingot are used to build a Metal Farm.
Crab Feces
- Source
- Harvested
- How to Get It
- Harvest deposits in the North or South Raceway areas of Coral Gardens, near Coral Crabs.
- Used For
- Process two pieces at the Processor into a Biofuel Block.
Type
Food and drink
Halfmoon
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Halfmoon; cook it at the Fabricator for a prepared meal.
- Used For
- Can be eaten raw after unlocking Digestion; two Halfmoons can be processed into Grease.
Harvestmoon
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Harvestmoon and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Bluemoon
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Bluemoon and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Geordie
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Geordie and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Electric Geordie
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch an Electric Geordie and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Hoverthorn
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Hoverthorn and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Blackthorn
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Blackthorn and cook it at the Fabricator.
- Used For
- A raw fish food with a corresponding cooked recipe.
Water Slug
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Water Slug during the starter resource loop.
- Used For
- One Water Slug makes one Water at the Fabricator; it can also be eaten raw after Digestion.
Flash Slug
- Source
- Caught
- How to Get It
- Catch a Flash Slug during exploration.
- Used For
- One Flash Slug and one Salt make Isotonic Water.
Cooked Halfmoon
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Halfmoon at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Geordie
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Geordie at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Bluemoon
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Bluemoon at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Harvestmoon
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Harvestmoon at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Electric Geordie
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Electric Geordie at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Hoverthorn
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Hoverthorn at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Cooked Blackthorn
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Cook one Blackthorn at the Fabricator after unlocking Digestion.
- Used For
- Restores food without the dehydration penalty of raw fish.
Oily Salad
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- Make Oily Salad at the Fabricator from Fibrous Pulp.
- Used For
- A plant-based food option after unlocking Digestion.
Nutrient Block
- Source
- Starter locker or crafted
- How to Get It
- Find three in the starter locker; additional blocks use one Biofuel Block and one Salt.
- Used For
- Restores 40 food per block.
Water
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, make one Water from one Water Slug.
- Used For
- Restores 40 water.
Isotonic Water
- Source
- Fabricator
- How to Get It
- At the Fabricator, combine one Flash Slug and one Salt.
- Used For
- A crafted drink for restoring water.
Filtered Water Packet
- Source
- Water Secretion Biomod
- How to Get It
- The Water Secretion Biomod fills a Filtered Water Packet over time.
- Used For
- A drink produced by the Water Secretion Biomod.
How Resources, Materials and Food Work Together
Raw resources are what you find out in the world, like Titanium, Lead and Pent. Materials are what you make from them, and they often feed each other. Copper can become Copper Wire, which goes into a Wiring Kit with Silver, and that kit can become part of a System Chip. Once you see how one item leads to the next, it's easier to know what to bring home.
Biological pickups sit in the middle of this. They are parts you harvest from creatures and plants, like Acidic Raion Pouches, Fibrous Pulp and Necrolei Cysts, and they go into recipes just like raw resources do. Food and drink run alongside, though a few ingredients, like Salt, serve both crafting and cooking.
Most crafts need pieces from more than one place, so it helps to think in chains. When you head out, work out which ingredient is hardest to find and go after that first. Then collect the easier pieces on the way back, so you don't end up with half a recipe.
How to Gather Resources and Biological Pickups
Most raw resources are loose pieces you find by searching, so exploring is part of the job. Check cave roofs, overhangs and shadowed crevices for Copper, look through shallow coral, caves and the seabed near the start for Quartz, and follow the starter routes for Titanium. Many early finds sit near the starting area, so you can build up a stock there before pushing deeper.
Biological pickups need harvesting, and the Survival Multitool is the tool for it. Acidic Raion Pouches come from creatures in the caves below the Lifepod, while Fibrous Pulp comes from the plants along your first route. Some parts only come out after you've dealt with something else, like the Medical Gel Sac in the middle of an Acidic Raion once its pouches are gone.
Some minerals sit in deposits that need a Sonic Resonator to collect, including Atacamite, Conduit Crystal and Creature Enamel. Bring one before you head into those areas. The deepest materials, such as Troilite and Axum Bacterial Culture, lie beyond the Alien Ruins, so plan those trips once your supplies are ready.
How the Fabricator and Processor Turn Materials Into Parts
Most crafting happens at the Fabricator, which makes things like Copper Wire, Glass, Basic Batteries and cooked meals. The Processor handles refining. It turns raw metals into ingots, which are refined metal pieces, and it makes a few special parts such as Plasteel Ingots, Grease and Biofuel Blocks.
Processing can also stretch your raw stock. A Titanium Ingot takes less Titanium at the Processor than at the Fabricator, so the Processor is the better choice when Titanium runs short. Silver and Gold Ingots each take three raw pieces of their metal at the Processor.
Some parts can be made in more than one way, so you can use whichever fits what you're carrying. Strong Acid comes from two Necrolei Cysts at the Fabricator, or from one Sulfur and one Gold at the Processor. Biofuel Blocks can be processed from Fibrous Pulp, Pents or Crab Feces, so whichever one you can gather most easily will do.
Which Early Resources Matter Most
Silver and Copper are the tightest materials early on. Silver goes into Standard Air Tanks and Wiring Kits, and it's one of the main limits on oxygen upgrades. Copper runs through early wiring and power, and it's part of the Mild Acid you need to build the Processor.
Quartz and Titanium come up again and again. Quartz makes Glass and System Chips, so keep some back for scanning and base recipes rather than spending it all at once. Titanium is the general construction stock, and it also feeds Titanium Ingots and Plasteel Ingots.
Salt, Sulfur and Lead are easy to overlook, but they turn up in important places. Salt is shared across power, drinks and food, so it's worth keeping a stock. Sulfur helps with the Repair Tool, and Lead's first two pieces are best set aside for the Sonic Resonator. Gold has to wait until you unlock Heat Tolerance, and Troilite comes from deeper areas, so both belong to later progress.
How to Make Advanced Batteries and Entangled Power Cells
Power starts simple. A Basic Battery comes from two Copper and an Acidic Raion Pouch, and a Power Cell builds on two Basic Batteries with Strong Acid and Salt to store power for vehicles and base systems. Advanced Batteries and Entangled Power Cells are the higher-capacity options, useful when recharging keeps breaking up your exploring.
Both upgrades need a Conduit Crystal and a Strong Acid, and each needs two scans to unlock its blueprint before the Fabricator will make it. An Advanced Battery adds a Silver Ingot, while an Entangled Power Cell adds a Gold Ingot and a Troilite. Neither one uses up your regular Basic Batteries or Power Cells, so you can keep a spare while you work on the upgrade.
They belong to different families, so check the device first. Advanced Batteries suit compatible tools, and Entangled Power Cells suit compatible vehicles, so a bigger cell won't always fit a handheld slot. Because both draw on the same Conduit Crystal and Strong Acid, decide which upgrade you need next and set those pieces aside for it.
Food and Water: What to Eat and Drink
Food and water are separate meters, so a full stomach doesn't mean you're hydrated. Your starter locker has Nutrient Blocks, which are ready to eat. For water, catch a Water Slug and turn it into Water at the Fabricator, which gives you your first reliable drink.
Local food becomes useful once you unlock Digestion, which is what makes the fish and slugs you catch worth eating. Many fish can be eaten raw, but raw fish carry a dehydration penalty, so cook them at the Fabricator when you can. Halfmoons, Geordies and Hoverthorns are among the fish with their own cooked meals, and Oily Salad is the plant-based option made from Fibrous Pulp.
For a crafted drink, Isotonic Water combines a Flash Slug with Salt at the Fabricator. The Water Secretion Biomod also slowly fills a Filtered Water Packet while you explore.
Planning Food, Water and Materials for Longer Trips
Food and materials share a few ingredients, so decide what you're using them for before you spend them. Two Halfmoons make Grease at the Processor, so set aside enough fish to eat before you turn any into equipment materials. Biofuel Blocks can fuel a bioreactor, but one can also be combined with Salt to make a Nutrient Block, so know which job it's doing first.
Before a longer trip, pack food and water for the way back as well as the way out. Top up before you leave rather than waiting until thirst is urgent, and keep a small ready reserve at base so you aren't looking for a Water Slug in a hurry. Set aside the next trip's rations and water before spending any surplus on processing or power.
FAQ
How do I unlock Digestion in Subnautica 2?
You unlock Digestion at the Angel Comb. Follow NOA's Anita black-box lead to the Angel Comb, interact with the central pod, then confirm it in the Adaptations tab of your PDA. Catching more of the same fish won't complete that step, so keep some starter food on hand until you've finished it.
How do I get more water from a Filtered Water Packet?
Pair Water Secretion with Water Retention once you have two passive slots unlocked. Retention doubles the positive hydration you get from food and drinks, so a full packet goes twice as far, as long as it fits under your water limit. Retention doesn't slow your passive thirst drain, so if you only have one slot, choose the ability that fits your supplies best.
Can I use Nutrient Blocks as fuel?
Yes. Nutrient Blocks can be burned as bioreactor fuel, so an edible ration can end up as fuel if you're not careful. Keep your trip rations separate from the fuel you feed your base.
How do I recharge an Advanced Battery?
Build a Battery Terminal or Power Cell Terminal at a powered base, then place the supply in the slot that accepts it. Watch the charge rise before you leave it unattended. The terminal only moves energy your base already has, so if the base keeps running dry, address generation and consumption rather than crafting more batteries.
