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Tools and Equipment - Version 5 vs Version 6
Mar 16, 2026, 03:16 AM
Add wikilinks to table cells (5 new links)
Apr 17, 2026, 10:43 PM
Removed external site attributions and Sources section
11Tools and Equipment22Tools and equipment in Subnautica 2 are the items players carry, craft, and use to interact with the world of Planet Zezura. The game features a mix of returning tools from the original Subnautica series and entirely new devices. Players start with basic gear and find recipes for more advanced equipment as they explore deeper biomes. Crucially, Subnautica 2 has no weapons of any kind; every item in the player's toolkit is classified as a collection, survival, or utility tool.3+Tools and equipment in Subnautica 2 are the items players carry, craft, and use to interact with the world of Planet Zezura. The game features a mix of returning tools from the original Subnautica series and entirely new devices. Players start with basic gear and find recipes for more advanced equipment as they explore deeper biomes. CruciallySubnautica 2 has no weapons of any kindevery item in the player's toolkit is classified as a collectionsurvivalor utility tool.44Confirmed tools66ToolStatusPrimary FunctionScannerReturning (upgraded)Scans creatures, objects, and fragments to unlock PDA entries and crafting blueprints. Now features an integrated radar hologram for locating resources.FlashlightReturningBasic illumination for dark underwater areas. One of the two starting tools alongside the Scanner.BiosamplerNewExtracts genetic samples from alien creatures for the DNA Adaptation System. Central to player progression.WakemakerNew (replaces Seaglide)Wearable underwater boosters providing speed without blocking the player's view. First wearable propulsion in the franchise.Cutting ToolNew (replaces Survival Knife)Utility cutting tool. Not classified as a weapon. Retains some physical interaction capability.FlaresNewThrowable light source that distracts hostile creatures including the Collector Leviathan.Repair ToolReturningRepairs damaged vehicles and base structures. Confirmed in Tadpole footage showing vehicle repair.7+ToolStatusPrimary FunctionScannerReturning (upgraded)Scans creaturesobjects, and fragments to unlock PDA entries and crafting blueprints. Now features an integrated radar hologram for locating resources.FlashlightReturningBasic illumination for dark underwater areas. One of the two starting tools alongside the Scanner.BiosamplerNewExtracts genetic samples from alien creatures for the DNA Adaptation System. Central to player progression.WakemakerNew (replaces Seaglide)Wearable underwater boosters providing speed without blocking the player's view. First wearable propulsion in the franchise.Cutting ToolNew (replaces Survival Knife)Utility cutting tool. Not classified as a weapon. Retains some physical interaction capability.FlaresNewThrowable light source that distracts hostile creatures including the Collector Leviathan.Repair ToolReturningRepairs damaged vehicles and base structures. Confirmed in Tadpole footage showing vehicle repair.88Scanner1010The Scanner returns from previous games with a significant upgrade. Dev Vlog 1 (April 23, 2025) showed the new Scanner featuring an integrated radar hologram that hovers above the device. This radar helps players locate scannable objects, materials, and fauna across Zezura's large map. The basic scanning function (analyzing creatures and objects to populate the PDA database and unlock Fabricator blueprints) remains unchanged.1212The radar complements the new resource-specific node system. Since resources on Zezura appear as distinct, identifiable nodes on the seafloor rather than randomized breakable rocks, the radar helps players find the specific nodes they need without wandering blindly.1414Biosampler1616The Biosampler is the signature new tool of Subnautica 2 and the entry point for the DNA Adaptation System. Players use it to extract genetic material from living creatures, study the samples, and apply those adaptations to their own body. The Steam store page describes it: "Use your bio sampler to take samples for study. As you learn more about this world, evolve your genetics to adapt your body for survival."1818The Biosampler was originally designed for the first Subnautica as the "Transfuser" tool, which would have let players inject DNA between creatures to modify them. That version was cut before release. In Subnautica 2, the mechanic was revised to focus on modifying the player character rather than creatures, narrowing the scope while deepening the survival narrative. See the dedicated Biosampler article for full details.2121Cutting Tool2323The Cutting Tool replaces the Survival Knife from the original Subnautica and Below Zero. It was confirmed in a Discord Q&A in April 2025 by developer UWE_uly, who stated: "There's a knife replacement. You can still slug things in the face with it." The Cutting Tool is classified as a utility tool, not a weapon, consistent with the no-weapons design philosophy.2525The developer acknowledged that the Cutting Tool may not fully replace all the roles the knife served in previous games: "I don't think we've given enough replacement options to the old lethal solution yet. We'll get there." This suggests additional non-lethal interaction tools are planned for Early Access updates. No visuals or crafting details for the Cutting Tool have been released.2727Flares2929Flares are throwable light sources confirmed as a tactical tool for dealing with hostile creatures. They were detailed in Dev Vlog 3 (September 16, 2025) alongside the Collector Leviathan reveal. AI Gameplay Lead Antonio Munoz Gallego explained that the Collector "constantly re-evaluates the situation in real time" using a stimulus system that reacts to light, sound, and movement.3131Flares exploit this reactive AI. By throwing a flare away from the player's position, the light stimulus draws the Collector's attention toward the flare and away from the player, creating a window to swim clear. The Collector's dual utility reasoning means it weighs the flare's stimulus against the player's presence, so the distraction is temporary rather than permanent. The creature also has a shockwave attack capable of knocking flares away, limiting how reliably they can be used as a sustained distraction.3434Flares represent the no-weapons philosophy in action: rather than killing the Collector, players must outsmart its AI through environmental manipulation. Quiet swimming in dark water, using terrain as cover, and deploying flares as decoys are all confirmed evasion strategies.3636Wakemaker3838The Wakemaker is the franchise's first wearable underwater booster, replacing the handheld Seaglide from previous games. It was redesigned to be "invisible" or minimally intrusive on screen, solving the Seaglide's persistent complaint of blocking the player's view. Being wearable rather than handheld means both hands remain free for other tools. See the dedicated Wakemaker article for full details.4040No-weapons design philosophy4242Subnautica 2 has no weapons of any kind. Leviathan-class organisms are mechanically invincible and cannot be killed, unlike the original Subnautica where leviathans could technically be killed with enough stab damage. Design Lead Anthony Gallegos has been direct about the rationale:4444"We don't want you killing predators, straight up. Interact with them. Run from them. The solution shouldn't just be bash them until dead. That's boring af.""If we do have 'weapons,' they would be tools used to help creatures and the world, not eliminate natural parts of the environment that bother you."4646Developer UWE_uly added: "Find a solution to the problem that doesn't involve something that kills the critter." In a PC Gamer interview, Gallegos addressed why survival games make players instinctively want weapons: "Everyone's little monkey brains like shelter and food," explaining that the desire to convert resources into weapons is a primal reflex that Subnautica 2 deliberately resists.47+Developer UWE_uly added: "Find a solution to the problem that doesn't involve something that kills the critter." In a interview, Gallegos addressed why survival games make players instinctively want weapons: "Everyone's little monkey brains like shelter and food," explaining that the desire to convert resources into weapons is a primal reflex that Subnautica 2 deliberately resists.4848Community reaction to the no-weapons approach was divided. Supporters cited the availability of "a million other combat-based games" and argued that removing weapons makes Subnautica uniquely tense. Critics called it "outrageous for a survival game" to remove the knife. The developers have not reversed the policy but acknowledged that additional non-lethal tools and evasion methods are still being developed.5050Advanced equipment5252Beyond the confirmed tools listed above, the game's official description states that players can find "recipes for more advanced tools, equipment, and submersibles" as they explore. Leaked milestone documents from May 2025 (confirmed authentic by KRAFTON) showed that the number of tools and equipment in the Early Access build was reduced from the original development targets. The specific items that were cut or retained were not enumerated in the leak.5454Expected additional equipment categories based on the franchise's design patterns include:5656Diving suits with enhanced depth ratings or environmental protectionAdvanced scanning or analysis toolsSpecialized equipment for interacting with specific biomes or creaturesUpgrades for existing tools to extend their capabilities5858Additional tools will be added throughout the Early Access period. Gallegos stated players would "be there when we first add new vehicles, craftables, biomes, and leviathans," confirming that the tool roster will expand over time.
