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Subnautica 2 guide intermediate

Subnautica 2 — The Tadpole Vehicle: Blueprint, Modules, Co-op Use, Leviathan Evasion

The only EA vehicle, end-to-end: where to find the blueprint, what materials you need, what modules to slot first, and the four-player riding rules nobody warns you about.

· 11 min read · Updated Jul 20

Tested against: Subnautica 2 early-access build available at the time of writing. Vehicle blueprint locations, module slot counts, and material costs described here reflect the EA build’s behaviour as understood from public dev updates and the studio’s early-access patch notes. EA values may shift between patches — verify against the in-game vehicle workbench before relying on specific numbers.

The Tadpole is Subnautica 2’s only rideable vehicle in early access. It doubles your underwater range, carries your squad, and turns solo deep-sea exploration from a death wish into a survivable afternoon. This guide covers the blueprint, the build cost, the four module slots, the co-op riding rules, and the single most important leviathan-evasion tactic in the game.

Where to find the blueprint

The Tadpole’s blueprint is scattered across three wreckage fragments in a debris field northeast of your lifepod. Each fragment is a small floating wreck you can scan with the scanner. Scan all three to unlock the full blueprint in your PDA.

Heads-up: the debris field sits inside the patrol path of a mid-tier leviathan. Don’t go straight there on day one — wait until you have the heat-immunity gene and at least one pressure-resistance tier, or go during a co-op session with someone watching your back.

Build cost and prerequisites

Once scanned, the Tadpole is built at a vehicle workbench (also called a moon pool in some build notes). The bench itself is unlocked by scanning the moon-pool blueprint from any deep wreck.

Material cost as of the EA build covered here:

  • Titanium ×10
  • Copper ×5
  • Lead ×3
  • Glass ×4

Lead and glass are mid-depth materials — you’ll need to dive past the kelp forest for both. That’s why the Tadpole is usually a “session 2 or 3” build, not a “first hour” build.

[图：蝌蚪号载具工作台（moon pool）合成界面示意]

What the Tadpole does

The Tadpole has four jobs, and you should design your module loadout around which jobs you want it to do:

  1. Solo or duo exploration — the pilot operates the vehicle from inside. The vehicle has its own oxygen supply, so the pilot doesn’t need to manage the oxygen bar.
  2. Squad transport — the pilot drives; up to three additional players can ride on the outside. They get continuous oxygen while holding onto the exterior handles.
  3. Mobile storage — the vehicle has built-in inventory slots, freeing you from carrying every salvage item by hand.
  4. Mobile scanning and lighting — the vehicle comes with a passive scanner and external lights. Salvage and creatures in range are auto-tagged on your HUD.

Module slots

The Tadpole has four module slots. You unlock module blueprints by scanning specific wreckage or buying them from station vendors when present.

  • Depth module (mandatory first slot) — raises the vehicle’s crush-depth rating. Required for any deep dive past the kelp forest.
  • Sonar mining module — exposes large ore veins through cave walls. Doubles your mining yield.
  • External storage — adds another four inventory slots. Modest but extremely useful for long salvage runs.
  • Defensive warning module — lights up and pulses when a leviathan enters scanner range. Your single most important safety tool.
  • Depth module (still mandatory)
  • External lighting — wider beam angle for the riders outside
  • Medical recharge — slowly heals riders who are holding on
  • Defensive warning module — same as solo

Operating the Tadpole

Basic controls:

  • Forward / reverse / ascend / descend — same as swimming, just with the vehicle. Movement is slower than swimming but far less oxygen-hungry.
  • Headlights — toggle with F by default. Turn them off when a leviathan is near (more on this below).
  • Exit — hold E. The vehicle idles where you leave it. Other players can still ride it.

Battery: the Tadpole runs on its own internal battery, not your suit battery. When the vehicle battery hits zero, the pilot starts drowning. This is the single most-feared new-player mistake. Always check the vehicle battery before departing.

The leviathan-evasion rule

This is the most important thing you’ll learn in Subnautica 2. When a leviathan approaches:

  1. Cut the headlights. Levis are attracted to light; running dark drops aggro.
  2. Cut the engine. Movement noise attracts them. Drift silently.
  3. Hide in a wreck or crevice. Use terrain to break line of sight.
  4. Do NOT use the emergency bladder outside the vehicle. It surfaces you — alone, without the vehicle — and the leviathan usually follows.
  5. Wait. Most leviathan patrols are 30–60 seconds long. They’ll leave.

The single biggest mistake new players make is to floor the throttle and try to outrun a leviathan. Don’t. Speed creates wake, which creates noise, which extends the aggro timer. Going dark and still wins almost every encounter.

Co-op: the riding rules

The Tadpole is the squad’s lifeline in co-op. The four rules everyone should agree on before any deep dive:

  1. One pilot at a time. Multiple players trying to steer at once causes the vehicle to spaz and rapidly drains the battery.
  2. Riders hold on with E. Letting go means they start using their own oxygen immediately. If they go too deep they’ll drown.
  3. Pilot decides when to run. Don’t override the pilot’s decisions. If the pilot says “lights off and silent,” everyone commits.
  4. If the pilot dies, the highest-pressure player catches the vehicle. The vehicle idles where it dies; the next player swims up, grabs the controls, and brings everyone home.

Common issues and fixes

”I built the Tadpole but it spawned on the seabed and I can’t reach it”

You need a moon pool. The vehicle always spawns in or near the moon pool you built it from. If you haven’t built one yet, the build button is hidden behind the moon-pool blueprint, which itself requires a deep-wreckage scan.

”My passengers keep drowning”

They’re letting go of the vehicle. Encourage them to keep E held while riding. If they’re brand new, give them the unlimited-breathing gene first or stick to shallower runs.

”The leviathan keeps finding me even with my lights off”

You’re moving. Drift, don’t swim. Even slow forward motion creates noise. Kill the engine entirely.

”The vehicle battery drained mid-dive”

You didn’t check the battery before leaving the moon pool. Add a routine: every departure, glance at the battery meter. Top up at the moon pool before going below the kelp forest.

Frequently asked questions

Q: Can I have two Tadpoles at once? A: Yes, but each requires its own moon pool. Most co-op squads settle on one shared vehicle early on, then build a second one for redundancy after the first endgame biome is cleared.

Q: Does the Tadpole persist across saves? A: Yes, vehicles persist per-save. In co-op, vehicles also persist across player sessions — if you log out, the squad’s Tadpole stays where you left it.

Q: Is the Tadpole repairable? A: The hull doesn’t take damage in EA; only the battery can deplete. There’s no “vehicle HP” mechanic in the current build.

Q: Can I pilot the vehicle without the depth module? A: You can, but it gets crushed at deep depths and you die. The depth module is functionally mandatory for any deep run.

Next steps

EA content disclaimer

This guide describes Subnautica 2 in its early-access state as understood at the time of writing. Vehicle blueprint locations, module slot counts, and material costs change between EA patches. Always cross-check with the in-game vehicle workbench and the studio's official patch notes before relying on any specific number in this guide. Subnautica, the Subnautica logo, and all related marks are trademarks of Unknown Worlds Entertainment. This site is unofficial and unaffiliated.