Subnautica 2 Story Walkthrough — All Black Boxes & Main Objectives in Order
Complete Subnautica 2 story walkthrough. All Black Box locations, main objectives, chapter progression, and how to cross the Collector Leviathan trench into Karakorum.
- •Follow NOA's Black Box missions in order — Anita, Chap, Wander, Quaker
- •The Collector Leviathan patrols the Karakorum trench on a ~45-second loop — wait for it to pass
- •Current Early Access story ends at Power Plant repair and Metal Farms exploration
Prologue: Crash Landing (0-30m)
You crash-land on Proteus. Your Lifepod is damaged. NOA, your AI assistant, comes online.
Objectives:
- Craft Survival Multitool (3× Titanium).
- Craft Scanner (2× Titanium, 2× Quartz, 1× Basic Battery).
- Get Digestion Adaptation (NE of Lifepod, ~160m).
- Craft Basic Fins + Standard Air Tank + Air Bladder.
Chapter 1: First Steps (0-50m)
NOA directs you to investigate the Welcome Center.
Objectives:
- Find Welcome Center (SE of Lifepod, ~100m).
- Insert Basic Battery into power outlet to activate Biolab.
- Research Biomods, get Dash (Active) and Sea Skimmer (Passive).
- Scan 2× Habitat Builder fragments (Welcome Center + Camp One).
- Build first base: Room → Hatch → Solar Panel → Fabricator.
Chapter 2: Black Box Recovery, Anita & Chap (20-80m)
NOA detects two Black Box signals from crashed escape pods.
Anita Black Box
| Detail | Info | |--------|------| | Location | Northwest of Lifepod, ~80m | | Depth | 20-30m | | Reward | Basic base-building blueprints |
Chap Black Box
| Detail | Info | |--------|------| | Location | East of Lifepod, near Old Habitat, ~200m | | Depth | 30-50m | | Reward | Equipment upgrades, lore |
Key milestone: After recovering both, NOA directs you to scan for Tadpole fragments.
Chapter 3: The Tadpole (20-80m)
You need a vehicle to progress further and deeper.
Objectives:
- Scan 3× Tadpole fragments (S, SW, and ENE of Lifepod).
- Build Moonpool (5× Titanium) on your base.
- Build Vehicle Fabricator inside Moonpool.
- Craft Tadpole: 2× Titanium Ingot, 1× Glass, 1× System Chip, 1× Power Cell.
Chapter 4: Wander & Quaker Black Boxes (50-100m)
With the Tadpole, you can now reach deeper Black Boxes.
Wander Black Box
| Detail | Info | |--------|------| | Location | Hydrothermal Vents area, ~600m E/SE | | Depth | 50-80m | | Reward | Sonic Resonator blueprint, Gold/Sulfur locations |
Quaker Black Box
| Detail | Info | |--------|------| | Location | Near The Hole, SE of Lifepod | | Depth | 60-100m | | Reward | Key story lore, directions to the Karakorum trench |
Chapter 5: Preparing for Karakorum (50-150m)
Before entering Karakorum, you need these:
Checklist:
- [ ] Heat Tolerance Adaptation (Blighted Area, clear Bloom Cankers with Sonic Resonator first)
- [ ] Endurance & Dexterity Adaptations
- [ ] Tadpole with at least 2× Engine Efficiency modules
- [ ] Repair Tool
- [ ] Spare Power Cells (at least 2)
- [ ] Full set of upgraded tools (Wakemaker, Sonic Resonator)
Chapter 6: Entering Karakorum (100-200m)
The trench connecting Coral Gardens to Karakorum is east of the Graveyard. A Collector Leviathan patrols it.
How to cross:
- Approach the trench entrance.
- Wait at the edge. Watch the Collector's patrol pattern (it circles on a ~45-second loop).
- When it passes, dash through the chasm at full Tadpole speed.
- Do not stop in the middle of the trench.
Chapter 7: Observatory & Research Outpost (140m)
Your first stop in Karakorum.
Objectives:
- Dock at Axum Observatory.
- Scan the Modification Station blueprint.
- Explore the Research Outpost for lore and resources.
- Scan Needlers for Creature Enamel (needed for Enameled Glass).
- Craft Modification Station at your base (2× Titanium, 2× Celestine, 2× Copper).
Chapter 8: The Power Plant (200m+)
The main story objective in the current Early Access build.
Objectives:
- handle from Observatory east to the Power Plant area (~480m).
- Find the Axum Vision Angel Comb.
- Use Axum Vision to repair the Power Plant.
- Access the Power Plant interior for story revelations.
Resources to collect here: Celestine, Atacamite, Conduit Crystal
Chapter 9: Metal Farms, Current Endgame (300m+)
The deepest accessible zone. Requires Depth Module Mk. 1 (minimum).
Objectives:
- Craft Depth Module Mk. 1 (3× Celestine, 2× Enameled Glass, 1× System Chip).
- Descend to Metal Farms.
- Mine Troilite (rare, limited nodes, prioritize Depth Module Mk. 2).
- Collect Axum Bacterial Culture.
- Be aware of the second Collector Leviathan patrolling this zone.
Related Guides
What's Next?
Subnautica 2 is in Early Access. The story currently ends at the Power Plant repair and Metal Farms exploration. Future updates will expand the map deeper and continue the narrative.
Stay updated: Check our guides after each game patch for updated walkthrough steps.
Sources
This guide was compiled from multiple public sources. We cross-reference with 3+ sources before publishing.
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