Warpers

Warpers (formally Self-Warping Quarantine Enforcers) are bio-mechanical organisms created by the Architects to contain the Kharaa bacterium on Planet 4546B. They are among the most dangerous enemies in the original Subnautica.

Origin

Warpers were assembled at the Disease Research Facility in the Lost River. They are not fully organic. Their brains were augmented for increased processing power and fitted with a remote communications system that allows them to share tactical data with each other. Partially constructed Warpers and separate component parts can be found in the Disease Research Facility, frozen mid-assembly when the facility was destroyed by a Sea Dragon Leviathan attack.

Abilities

Warpers can teleport ("warp") through space, appearing and disappearing without warning. They use this ability to ambush infected organisms, including the player. They can also teleport the player out of vehicles, leaving them exposed in open water. Their attacks deal moderate damage and they can create a warp portal that sucks nearby organisms toward it.

Behavior

Warpers specifically target Kharaa-infected organisms. Before the player contracts Kharaa, Warpers are passive. Once infected, they become hostile. After the player cures the infection with Enzyme 42, Warpers become passive again. This makes them one of the few creatures in Subnautica whose hostility is tied to a game mechanic rather than proximity.

The Alterra Corporation PDA's entry on the Warper reads: "Assessment: Immobilize and return to Alterra for mutual profit", suggesting the corporation views even these dangerous bio-weapons as a monetization opportunity.

In Subnautica 2

Whether Warpers or similar Architect-created enforcers exist on Planet Zezura has not been confirmed. The Overgrown Ruins biome suggests an Architect presence on the planet, but no bio-mechanical creatures have been shown in pre-release material.