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Karakorum
May 22, 2026 at 07:22 AM
Initial Karakorum page (2026-05-22)
Karakorum is the second major region of the ocean moon Proteus in the current Early Access build of Subnautica 2. It sits about 1,000 m east of the starting area and reaches down to roughly 827 m. Karakorum holds an Axum observatory and a power plant, and it is central to the chapter ending: restoring the power plant and bringing the observatory online are key steps toward the Early Access cliffhanger.
Karakorum lies east of the Lifepod splashdown, beyond the starting Coral Gardens and Sparse Plains regions. Reaching it means crossing roughly 1,000 m of ocean to the east, and exploring it fully means descending to around 827 m. It is a more developed, structure-heavy region than the early areas, mixing natural features (canyons, vents, mineral deposits) with built sites left by the Axum.
Karakorum contains several distinct sites and a cluster of smaller micro-areas.
Location | Description |
|---|---|
Observatory Island | An Axum observatory. Bringing it online is part of the chapter ending. |
Karakorum Power Plant | A power facility the player restores to progress the story. |
Root Canyon | A Blighted wreck, where the Blight has taken hold. |
Karakorum Metal Farms | A site associated with metal resources within the region. |
Needler Nest | A micro-area within Karakorum. |
Silver Mines | A micro-area associated with silver deposits. |
Thermal Vents | A geothermal micro-area within the region. |
Karakorum is closely tied to the Axum, the civilization native to Proteus. Observatory Island is an Axum observatory, and the region's structures carry the marks of that civilization. Exploring Karakorum is one of the main ways the player learns about the Axum and their presence on the moon.
The current Early Access build is a single chapter, Chapter 1, that ends on a cliffhanger, and Karakorum is where much of that ending plays out. Reaching the ending involves:
Restoring the Karakorum Power Plant.
Bringing the Axum Observatory and its Orrery online.
Receiving an Axum transmission about the World Tree in Xanadu.
The transmission points the player toward Xanadu, the announced future region intended to house the World Tree and an Alien Crypt. Xanadu is out of bounds in the current build, so the chapter closes on the transmission rather than on a visit to the World Tree itself.
Karakorum is fully part of the current Early Access build as the second region and the stage for the chapter ending. Content beyond Chapter 1, including the Xanadu region the ending points toward, is not in the current build and is planned for later updates.
