TL;DR

There are 15 Biomods in Subnautica 2’s current Early Access build — 5 Active and 10 Passive.
Four are available by default from the Biolab in the Welcome Center. The rest require the Bioscanner.
The Bioscanner is crafted at a Modification Station using 1 Scanner, 2 Enameled Glass, and 3 Conduit Crystal. You must find and scan the degraded version inside the Cicada Wreck first.
Most Biomods unlock by scanning specific fauna or flora with the Bioscanner — scans done with the regular Scanner do not count.
You can equip one Active Biomod and up to six Passive Biomods at a time. More passive slots are planned for update 1.1.
Priority picks: Oxygen Control, Dash, Camouflage, Water Secretion, and Slow Metabolism for most playstyles.

Biomods in Subnautica 2 are one of the best character upgrade systems in the game — and one of the most overlooked by new players. They give your Pioneer active abilities and passive bonuses that change how you swim, breathe, eat, drink, and survive encounters with hostile creatures. You start with just four of them, but once you get the Bioscanner and start scanning the right fauna, the full system opens up. This guide covers every Biomod in Subnautica 2, what it does, how to unlock it, and where to find each scan target.

Table of Contents

What Are Biomods in Subnautica 2?

Biomods are biological modifications you equip at the Biolab, a station found inside the Welcome Center near your starting area. They are different from Adaptations — those come from clearing Angel Combs and permanently alter your body’s biology. Biomods are more like swappable skills. You pick one Active and up to six Passive Biomods to run at any given time, and you can swap them at any Biolab whenever your strategy changes.

Active Biomods are triggered manually. You press a button and they activate — like a dash, an electric jolt, or a resource-scanning pulse. There are five Active Biomods in the current build.

Passive Biomods run constantly in the background with no input needed. They make you swim faster near surfaces, reduce oxygen burn rate, help you stay invisible to predators, produce food and water passively, and more. There are ten Passive Biomods in the current build.

The full Biomod roster only becomes accessible once you craft the Bioscanner. Until then, the locked slots in the Biolab show you the scan requirements but not what the ability actually does.

How to Get the Bioscanner

The Bioscanner is the upgraded version of your standard Scanner. You cannot unlock it through the crafting menu like most tools. You need to find and scan a degraded Bioscanner out in the world first, then craft it at a Modification Station.

Step 1 – Find the Degraded Bioscanner

The degraded Bioscanner is located inside the Cicada Wreck, roughly 1,800 meters east of the Lifepod, or about 600 meters southeast of the Alien Ruins Signal. This is well into the game’s second major biome — the darker green water zone with alien structures. You need to be reasonably progressed to make this trip safely.

Bring your Repair Tool — you need it to open the sealed entry to the wreck. Once inside, swim through vents and holes in the walls, descending down through a broken chamber. The degraded Bioscanner is at the bottom of that chamber. Scan it with your standard Scanner to unlock the blueprint. See our full Bioscanner guide for the exact route and a step-by-step walkthrough.

Step 2 – Craft the Bioscanner at a Modification Station

Once you have the blueprint, head to your Modification Station. The Bioscanner recipe requires:

1x Scanner (your existing Scanner is consumed in the upgrade — you do not keep both)
2x Enameled Glass
3x Conduit Crystal

Conduit Crystal is the bottleneck here. It only grows in the Alien Ruins region and nearby zones to the east. If you need help finding it, see our guide on where to find Conduit Crystal.

Step 3 – Rescan Everything With the Bioscanner

This is the step most players miss. Scans done with your standard Scanner do not count toward Biomod unlocks. Once you have the Bioscanner equipped, you need to scan each target creature again. If you already scanned a Sandspear or Coral Crab with the old Scanner, go find one and scan it again — the Bioscanner scan is the one that registers in the Biolab.

How Many Biomods Can You Equip?

In the current Early Access build you can equip one Active Biomod and up to six Passive Biomods simultaneously. The two slot types never compete — your active selection goes in a separate slot from your passives. Unknown Worlds has confirmed that more passive slots are coming in update 1.1, so the system will get more flexible over time.

You change your equipped Biomods at any Biolab. The Welcome Center has one, and you can build additional Biolabs in your own base if you want easy access during longer trips east.

All Active Biomods in Subnautica 2

Active Biomods are triggered on demand and have cooldowns after use. Here is every Active Biomod in the current build, what it does, and how to unlock it.

Dash – Available by Default

What it does: Bursts you in any chosen direction — forward, sideways, or backward. Useful for dodging predator lunges, breaking a chase, or just moving faster in tight spaces.

How to get it: Available from the start. Interact with the Biolab in the Welcome Center and it will already be selectable without any scanning required.

Worth using? Yes. Dash stays useful from your first dive to your last. It solves the most common survival problem in the game — needing distance immediately. This is the go-to Active Biomod for most players and the one you should default to unless you have a specific reason to swap it out.

Pathfinder – Available by Default

What it does: Leaves a trail of glowing pheromone particles behind you as you swim. The trail marks where you have already been, helping you navigate back through wrecks, cave systems, and unfamiliar areas without getting turned around.

How to get it: Available by default at the Welcome Center Biolab.

Worth using? Situationally. Pathfinder is best for exploring caves, wrecks, and complex interior spaces where it is easy to get disoriented. In open water it has less value. If you are doing a lot of wreck diving or cave exploration, swap to Pathfinder. Otherwise Dash handles most situations better.

Electric Discharge – Scan an Electric Geordie

What it does: Releases a bolt of electricity from your body that temporarily deters any hostile creature targeting you, giving you a window to escape.

How to unlock it: Scan an Electric Geordie with your Bioscanner. Electric Geordies are found near thermal vent chimneys in the Observatory Island, Power Plant, and Root Canyon areas. They cluster in groups near the vents — approach carefully because they can disable your battery-powered tools on contact before you scan them.

Worth using? Good as a defensive active Biomod when you expect predator contact during a task you cannot leave — like clearing bloom during Angel Comb sequences. Pairs well with Threat Sense in areas with frequent surprise attacks. Less useful than Dash for general travel.

Chum Cloud – Scan a Toxic Sponge and a Houndgar

What it does: Releases a cloud of irresistible bait that attracts and distracts predators in the area, pulling their attention away from you for a short window. Has a 20-second cooldown.

How to unlock it: Requires scanning both a Toxic Sponge and a Houndgar with the Bioscanner. The Toxic Sponge is a plant common around the Lifepod starting area and Coral Gardens — swim east from the Lifepod about 195 degrees and look in the bushes near the coral formations. Houndgars are found in the Graveyard biome.

Worth using? A solid alternative to Distraction Flares with no crafting cost. The 20-second cooldown means you cannot rely on it alone, but combining Chum Cloud with a supply of flares gives you redundant distraction tools for predator-heavy routes. Useful for the Angel Comb sequences where you are stuck in place. See our guide on Angel Comb puzzles for where this matters most.

Sonic Echo – Scan a Collector Leviathan

What it does: Emits a sonar pulse that highlights nearby resource nodes — ores and minerals — through terrain and in dark water. Does not detect food sources or craftable plants, only raw ore deposits.

How to unlock it: Scan a Collector Leviathan with your Bioscanner. The Collector patrols the gorge between the Tadpole Pens and the Alien Ruins, and two more are found near the Karakorum Metal Farm. This is the riskiest Biomod scan in the game. Use Distraction Flares, hug cover, and have a clear escape route before you attempt it. The Camouflage Biomod (if you already have it) makes this scan significantly safer. See our hostile creatures guide for detailed Collector Leviathan survival tips before you attempt this.

Worth using? Excellent for resource farming runs in dark or unfamiliar areas, especially around the Metal Farm and deeper eastern zones. The scan cost is high but the long-term benefit for material gathering is real. If you are struggling to find specific ores, Sonic Echo changes that entirely.

All Passive Biomods in Subnautica 2

Passive Biomods run constantly once equipped. They require no input and stack across your available passive slots. Here is every Passive Biomod and how to unlock each one.

Sea Skimmer – Available by Default

What it does: Increases your swim speed when you are swimming close to the seafloor, a cave wall, or any submerged surface.

How to get it: Available by default at the Welcome Center Biolab.

Worth using? Yes — it is free and the benefit is constant. Most of your exploration involves following the seafloor and cave walls, so the speed boost activates constantly. Keep this equipped unless a different passive is more important for a specific route.

Oxygen Control – Available by Default

What it does: Passively reduces your oxygen consumption rate whenever you are completely still. Stop moving and your O2 burns slower.

How to get it: Available by default at the Welcome Center Biolab.

Worth using? Absolutely — this is a must-have passive for any stage of the game. The benefit is passive, consistent, and significant. When you are scanning something, reading a terminal, or waiting for a predator to pass, your O2 stretches further. Pair this with our guide on how to increase oxygen for maximum dive time.

Camouflage – Scan a Bullethead

What it does: Makes you completely invisible to predators as long as you are not moving. While still, no hostile creature in the game will detect you — including the Collector Leviathan and the Shiver Leviathan in the Void.

How to unlock it: Scan a Bullethead with your Bioscanner. Bulletheads are found in the Alien Ruins region. From the pre-built base near the Alien Ruins, head toward 125 degrees and go deeper. Around 510 meters from the Alien Ruins, look for red flowers on a cliff near the giant alien power plant platform — Bulletheads are on the rocks nearby, often lodged into cave walls. They are easy to miss in the dark. Note: Camouflage does not work while inside the Tadpole.

Worth using? This is the single best passive Biomod in the game for survival. It fundamentally changes how you deal with every dangerous creature encounter. Stop moving, go invisible, let the threat pass. Prioritize this unlock as soon as you can reach the Alien Ruins area safely. It is what makes the entire late-game navigable without constant panic.

Bioluminescence – Scan a Sandspear and an Electric Geordie

What it does: Your body emits a soft bioluminescent glow that helps you see in dark underwater environments. In multiplayer, it also makes you visible to teammates across long distances.

How to unlock it: Requires scanning both a Sandspear and an Electric Geordie. Sandspears are common sleek predatory fish found throughout the Coral Gardens and starting biome. Electric Geordies are at Observatory Island, the Power Plant area, and Root Canyon.

Worth using? Moderately useful. The passive light is helpful in deep, dark caves and wrecks where visibility is limited. In bright zones it adds little. If you are doing a lot of cave exploration and do not want to carry a flashlight, Bioluminescence frees up a slot. It is more valuable in multiplayer co-op where it helps teammates track your position. See our flashlight guide to compare your options.

Water Retention – Scan a Coral Crab

What it does: Modifies your biology similarly to an orca, extracting more hydration from every water source you consume. All drinks give you more water than normal.

How to unlock it: Scan a Coral Crab with your Bioscanner. Coral Crabs are common seafloor creatures found throughout the game world — described as “goofy-looking critters” that are everywhere on the seabed.

Worth using? Good for long expeditions where water management is a concern, particularly in the Alien Ruins area where natural water sources are less abundant. Pairs well with Water Secretion for a near-zero-effort hydration setup. See our guide on how to make water in Subnautica 2 for the full picture on staying hydrated.

Water Secretion – Scan a Water Slug

What it does: Passively generates a small packet of drinkable water in your inventory every 150 seconds — roughly every two and a half minutes — without any input from you.

How to unlock it: Scan a Water Slug with your Bioscanner. Water Slugs are abundant near the Lifepod. From the Lifepod, head toward 195 degrees and look for them sitting inside the bushes near the first coral shell.

Worth using? Yes — this is one of the easiest and most consistently useful Biomods in the game. It practically eliminates water as a concern on long dives without requiring any crafting. Unlock it early and keep it equipped on long exploration runs.

Homing Sense – Scan a Surge Jelly and a Hammerhead

What it does: Passively detects nearby powered bases and emits a directional alert when you are close to one. Useful for finding your own base when disoriented, or locating pre-built Alterra structures in new areas.

How to unlock it: Requires scanning both a Surge Jelly and a Hammerhead. Both are found in the Coral Gardens and surrounding biomes in the starting zone.

Worth using? Situationally. Homing Sense is most useful when you are exploring genuinely unfamiliar territory far from your base and need a passive way to find powered structures. Less useful if you rely on Beacons for navigation already. For a better base navigation system, check our guide on how to add power to your base — a powered base is what Homing Sense detects.

Threat Sense – Scan a Hoverthorn

What it does: Specialized hair cells in your body alert you with an audible beeping when a predator or hostile threat is nearby. The beeping gets faster as the creature gets closer — similar to a proximity radar.

How to unlock it: Scan a Hoverthorn with your Bioscanner. Hoverthorns are found north of the Alien Ruins, and around the Observatory tower area — about 230 meters from the Alien Ruins at roughly 245 degrees.

Worth using? Useful in areas with poor visibility where you cannot easily spot threats before they get close. The audio warning gives you time to activate Camouflage or prepare a flare before a predator engages. Pairing Threat Sense with Electric Discharge or Camouflage makes the combination much more powerful than either alone.

Dermal Garden – Scan a Needler Mango

What it does: Grows nutritious algae directly on your skin, passively generating one small food packet every 210 seconds. Each packet adds approximately +5 nutrition to your hunger meter.

How to unlock it: Scan a Needler Mango with your Bioscanner. Needler Mangoes are found in the Needler Nest in the Karakorum region, near the Alien Ruins. From the Alien Ruins base, head toward 165 degrees for about 190 meters.

Worth using? Yes, especially in the Alien Ruins and eastern zones where natural food sources are harder to find. It is not fast enough to be your only food source, but as a supplement it passively extends how long you can stay out without returning to base. Check our best early food sources guide to combine Dermal Garden with other food strategies.

Slow Metabolism – Scan a Nibbler Mango

What it does: Optimizes your gut microbiome so your hunger indicator depletes much more slowly. Your food lasts significantly longer between meals.

How to unlock it: Scan a Nibbler Mango with your Bioscanner. Nibbler Mangoes are the smaller, red-scaled cousins of Needler Mangoes and are found in the rock formations and caves just outside the Alien Ruins in the Karakorum region.

Worth using? Very much so. Slow Metabolism is one of the most impactful passive Biomods for long expeditions. It reduces the frequency at which you need to interrupt your exploration to eat, without requiring any extra inventory clutter or crafting. If you are making long trips to areas like the Power Plant, having Slow Metabolism equipped significantly reduces the logistical burden of the trip. See our guide on fixing the Power Plant and opening the Observatory for one of the longest resource runs in the game where this matters.

Best Biomods to Prioritize in Subnautica 2

With only one Active and six Passive slots available right now, choosing the right Biomods for your stage of the game matters. Here is a recommended priority order based on when you can realistically get each unlock:

Early Game (Before Bioscanner)

Active: Dash — No contest. It is free and solves the single most common problem you will face.
Passive: Oxygen Control — Free and continuously valuable. Always keep this equipped.
Passive: Sea Skimmer — Free speed bonus. No reason not to have it.

Mid Game (After Bioscanner)

Passive: Water Secretion — Water Slug is easy to find early. Get this immediately after crafting the Bioscanner.
Passive: Camouflage — Bullethead is in the Alien Ruins region. Prioritize this the moment you can safely reach the area. It changes everything about creature encounters.
Passive: Slow Metabolism — Nibbler Mango is nearby the Alien Ruins. Grab this alongside Camouflage.
Active: Electric Discharge — Electric Geordie is at Observatory Island and the Power Plant area. Swap to this when you know a route will have frequent predator contact.

Late Game

Active: Sonic Echo — Requires scanning the Collector Leviathan. High risk, high reward. Only attempt once you have Camouflage and Distraction Flares ready.
Passive: Dermal Garden — Useful once you are spending long stretches in the Alien Ruins biome where food is scarce.
Passive: Water Retention — Pairs well with Water Secretion for a completely passive hydration setup.
Active: Chum Cloud — A solid backup distraction tool once you have the scan targets. Best used in combination with Distraction Flares rather than as a replacement.

Important Notes About Biomods

Scans from the basic Scanner do not count. If you scanned any of these creatures before getting the Bioscanner, you need to scan them again. Only Bioscanner scans register for Biomod unlocks.
Multi-requirement Biomods need every creature scanned. Chum Cloud (Toxic Sponge + Houndgar), Bioluminescence (Sandspear + Electric Geordie), and Homing Sense (Surge Jelly + Hammerhead) only unlock once every listed species has been Bioscanned. One scan is not enough.
Camouflage does not work in the Tadpole. It only applies to your character on foot. Plan accordingly when travelling through Collector or Shiver territory by vehicle.
More Biomod slots are coming. Unknown Worlds has confirmed update 1.1 will add more passive Biomod slots. Once that lands, stacking multiple complementary passives becomes significantly more powerful.
8 additional Biomods are drafted but not yet enabled in the current Early Access build. Expect the list to grow as updates roll out.

If you want to get the most out of your Biomods, make sure your base is properly set up to support long expeditions. Our guides on what to build in your base first, how to unlock the Habitat Builder, and the best early upgrades and progression path will help you get there faster.

Subnautica 2 is available now in Early Access on Steam and Xbox Game Preview.

All Biomods in Subnautica 2 & How to Get Them

What Are Biomods in Subnautica 2?