Cyclops

The Cyclops is a large submarine and mobile base from the original Subnautica. At approximately 54 meters long, it was the biggest player-operated vehicle in the game and roughly the same length as a Reaper Leviathan. Design Lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed that the Cyclops will not return in Subnautica 2.

Design

The Cyclops has a long, cylindrical hull with a rounded bow containing the bridge and a tapered stern housing the engine room. The interior spans three levels connected by ladders. The bridge sits at the top and provides the pilot's view through curved windows. The middle deck contains the main compartment with lockers, a wall-mounted Fabricator, and open floor space. The lowest deck houses the engine room with six Power Cell slots (three on each side) and the upgrade console.

Speed and stealth

The Cyclops has three speed settings: Slow, Standard, and Flank Speed. Each setting generates a different amount of noise that attracts nearby creatures. A separate Silent Running mode reduces the noise signature substantially but drains power at an accelerated rate. The noise/speed tradeoff is central to navigating hostile biomes safely.

Depth modules

With the MK3 depth module, the Cyclops can reach the deepest areas of the game including the Lava Lakes at approximately 1,700 meters, where the Primary Containment Facility and the Sea Emperor Leviathan are located.

Damage and fire system

The Cyclops has a health system separate from the pilot. When attacked by creatures or damaged by collision, fires can break out in the interior. Fires spread if not extinguished with wall-mounted fire extinguishers. If fires are left unchecked, the Cyclops will eventually be destroyed, sinking to the ocean floor as a permanent wreck. This fire mechanic created tense moments when leviathan-class organisms attacked during deep-sea expeditions.

Upgrade modules

The Cyclops supports six upgrade slots. Key modules include the Fire Suppression System (automatically extinguishes fires), Shield Generator (creates a temporary protective shield at high power cost), Thermal Reactor (generates power from heat near lava zones), Sonar (pulse-based terrain mapping), Creature Decoy Tube (launches decoys to distract attacking creatures), and the Engine Efficiency Module (reduces power consumption).

Vehicle bay

The Cyclops's internal bay can dock one Seamoth or one Prawn Suit. Players drive the smaller vehicle into the open bay at the Cyclops's keel, where it magnetically locks in place. This allowed the Cyclops to serve as a mothership: players would pilot the Cyclops to a deep biome, then deploy the Seamoth or Prawn Suit for local exploration before returning to the relative safety of the submarine.

Construction

Building the Cyclops required scanning three different fragment types: hull fragments, bridge fragments, and engine fragments. These fragments were scattered across mid-to-deep biomes including the Mushroom Forest, Underwater Islands, and Crash Zone. Crafting required Plasteel Ingot, Enameled Glass, Lubricant, Advanced Wiring Kit, and Lead. The Cyclops was built at the Mobile Vehicle Bay on the ocean surface.

Absence from Subnautica 2

Gallegos confirmed in interviews that the Cyclops does not return in Subnautica 2. The game's vehicle design takes a different approach: the Tadpole handles exploration, the Dive Elevator handles bulk vertical transport, and the Wakemaker provides personal speed boosts. Base building rather than a mobile base serves as the central hub in Subnautica 2.