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The Hammerhead is an alien creature inhabiting the oceans of Proteus in Subnautica 2. It was first seen in official preview screenshots distributed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment and is one of several new fauna species confirmed for the game. The creature's name comes from its most distinctive physical feature: a broad, hammer-shaped head structure that draws an obvious parallel to the real-world hammerhead shark, though the creature's body plan is distinctly alien in nature.

Appearance

The Hammerhead appeared in preview screenshots released alongside other official media for Subnautica 2. The screenshots show a creature with a wide, laterally extended head. Its overall body proportions and coloration differ significantly from anything on Earth, fitting the alien biology of Proteus's ecosystem. The full size of the Hammerhead relative to the player character has not been precisely described, though the preview screenshots suggest a mid-sized creature rather than a leviathan-class organism.

Proteus's Creature Ecosystem

The Hammerhead is part of a broader roster of new fauna designed for Proteus Subnautica 2 introduces an entirely new alien ecosystem; no creatures carry over from prior franchise entries. Other confirmed creatures include:

Leaked milestone documents from May 2025 (confirmed authentic by KRAFTON) listed a creature roster as part of the Early Access build, though individual species were not named in the leak. One leviathan-class creature was cut from the Early Access scope, but additional creatures will be added throughout the Early Access development period.

Gameplay Interactions

The Hammerhead is expected to be scannable with the Scanner tool, which would add an encyclopedia entry to the PDA. It may also be a valid target for the Biosampler, allowing players to extract genetic material for the DNA Adaptation System. Whether the Hammerhead is passive, territorial, or aggressive has not been disclosed.

Subnautica 2 features no weapons; Design Lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed the game has "no weapons, only collection tools." If the Hammerhead is hostile, players will need to evade or distract it rather than fight it, consistent with the franchise's core design philosophy.

Behavior

Hammerheads are large mid-tier predators that patrol the upper biomes of Proteus. In the initial Early Access build, they were strongly drawn to the lights of the Tadpole submersible, which caused them to chase the vehicle and remain near player bases after pursuit. The May 22, 2026 hotfix toned this down: Hammerheads are no longer as attracted to Tadpole lights, so they no longer reliably follow the submersible back to a base or linger trying to reach a docked Tadpole.

Per the in-game databank entry, the Hammerhead's tentative species name is Panoplia hammerhead, a Latin description meaning fully armored hammerhead. It is classed as a defensive, herd-dwelling, territorial herbivore equipped with a powerful ram. The Hammerhead lives in the Coral Gardens and the Lead Zone biomes on Proteus. The vertical jaw points to a diet of sponges, kelp, tunicates, and possibly crushed coral, and the species' territoriality may have evolved from the need to defend grazing areas.

The behavior change applies to all Hammerheads in the current build. Players still encounter them on patrol routes near Sparse Plains and the early-game coral regions, but they are less likely to camp a base once the player has left the area.

A further refinement landed on June 1, 2026: Hammerheads no longer attack unpiloted Tadpoles at all, although they can still take an interest in a parked one, and a bug that left them occasionally ignoring Flares was fixed so the distraction tool works reliably against them again.

What Remains Unknown

As of Early Access launch (May 2026), the following details about the Hammerhead have not been officially disclosed:

• Whether it provides specific DNA adaptations when biosampled

• Full size measurements and detailed anatomy

• Whether it is affected by the Blight

This article will be updated as more information is revealed during Early Access.