Vehicles

Vehicles are essential for depth progression in the Subnautica franchise. Subnautica 2 introduces an entirely new vehicle lineup designed for both solo and co-op play on Planet Zezura. Design Lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed that none of the classic vehicles from previous games are planned to return. Instead, each new vehicle fills a distinct role: the Tadpole handles modular underwater exploration, the Wakemaker provides personal propulsion, and the Dive Elevator enables vertical cargo transport.

Subnautica 2 Vehicles

Tadpole

The Tadpole is a modular one-pilot submersible that serves as the primary exploration vehicle. It was showcased in Dev Vlog #4 ("Crafting the Tadpole", December 9, 2025) with detailed looks at its design, engineering, and gameplay role.

Design: The Tadpole has a manta ray-inspired profile with swept wings that feature visible light refractions on their surfaces. Compared to previous submarines in the franchise, it has a sleeker body and a larger, unobstructed forward window for better visibility. Visual Development Lead Cory Strader and 3D Artist Ben Henry developed the exterior, while Gameplay Designer Pedro Perez and Gameplay Programmer Andi Urwalek handled its mechanics.

Modular chassis: Dev Vlog footage revealed multiple chassis variants, including a bare-bones frame and a fully paneled version. This suggests different configurations with varying storage capacity and possibly different performance characteristics. Sockets visible on the rear of the Tadpole indicate it can dock with or attach to larger vehicles, combining the fluid movement of the original Seamoth with the modularity of Below Zero's Seatruck.

Tadpole Specifications

Depth rating: The Tadpole has a base crush depth of 200 meters. Community analysis of dev footage showed a depth upgrade module increasing this to 250 meters, with further upgrades likely at higher tiers. The hull can briefly survive approximately 50 meters beyond its crush depth before damage accelerates, giving players a small margin of error.

Co-op features: Other players can ride on the exterior of the Tadpole while it is being piloted. Exterior oxygen ports allow passengers to breathe without drowning, so a co-op partner does not need to worry about oxygen depletion while riding along. This design solves the original Cyclops problem where the large submarine was conceptualized for co-op crew play but ended up being played solo.

Wakemaker

The Wakemaker is a personal propulsion tool that replaces the Seaglide from previous games. Its key design improvement is visibility: the Wakemaker is rendered invisible while in use, keeping the player's view completely unobstructed. The Seaglide from the original Subnautica occupied a large portion of the screen and was a common source of player complaints. The Wakemaker eliminates this problem entirely.

Specific technical details such as speed, crafting recipe, and battery consumption have not been publicly revealed.

Dive Elevator

The Dive Elevator is a ride-on platform designed for vertical transport through the water column. It was featured in Dev Vlog #5 (February 2026, focused on multiplayer). Lead Gameplay Engineer Adrian Lopez-Mobilia stated: "The Dive Elevator just adds a lot to co-op in general."

The platform can carry multiple players simultaneously along with storage containers and harvested resources. The intended co-op workflow is straightforward: a team descends together on the elevator, fans out to gather materials, loads everything onto the platform, and sends it back to the surface while the players continue exploring below. This eliminates the tedious process of individually hauling resources through hundreds of meters of water.

The Dive Elevator works for solo play as well. Specific crafting requirements and depth limits have not been publicly revealed.

Large Submarine (Planned)

Design Lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed that a large multi-person submarine comparable in scale to the original Cyclops is in development. It will not be available at Early Access launch but is expected to arrive during later development phases, potentially closer to the full 1.0 release. No name, visual design, or specifications have been shared.

Dev Vlog #5 showed a large submarine that multiple players could operate, with other players able to ride on the exterior. Whether this is the planned large sub or a separate vehicle has not been clarified.

Trident (Cut)

The Trident was a vehicle cut from the Early Access scope. It is referenced in the Collector Leviathan's internal design brief, which describes the creature as disdaining "players, tadpoles, tridents, and anything it does not recognise." This suggests the Trident was far enough along in development to be factored into creature AI behavior before being cut. See Cut Content for more details.

Vehicles Not Returning

Design Lead Anthony Gallegos explicitly confirmed that none of the following classic vehicles are planned for Subnautica 2:

The philosophy is that Subnautica 2 takes place on an entirely different planet with new mechanics, and each game should feel distinct rather than recycling the same vehicles. The Prawn Suit's absence is particularly notable given its popularity, but no developer has addressed its role specifically.

Subnautica 2 Vehicle Overview

Vehicle Progression

Subnautica 2 follows the same general blueprint progression as previous games. Players scan fragments and ruins scattered across biomes to unlock vehicle blueprints. Crafting recipes for submersibles unlock as players gather increasingly advanced resources from deeper and more dangerous environments. Depth upgrade modules allow vehicles to reach previously inaccessible areas, driving the core exploration loop.

Legacy Vehicles

For historical context, here are the vehicles from previous Subnautica games. None of these return in Subnautica 2.

Original Subnautica

Below Zero

Design Philosophy Shift

The original Subnautica's vehicle hierarchy was straightforward: Seaglide for personal speed, Seamoth for mid-depth exploration, Prawn Suit for extreme depth, Cyclops as mobile base. Below Zero combined the Seamoth and Cyclops roles into the modular Seatruck, which could operate as a nimble scout or a slow mobile base depending on how many modules were attached.

Subnautica 2 splits vehicle functions differently. The Tadpole handles exploration with modular docking for expanded capability. The Dive Elevator fills a new niche as a bulk vertical transporter. The Wakemaker provides personal speed without the visibility penalty of the Seaglide. And a planned large submarine will eventually provide the mobile base experience. The co-op focus also shaped vehicle design: the Tadpole's exterior riding, the Dive Elevator's group transport, and the large sub's multi-operator setup are all built around the idea that up to four players may be exploring together.