Subnautica 2 Metal Farm is one of the most useful structures in the game. It lets you duplicate rare metals passively, so you stop worrying about running out of materials mid-game. This guide covers where to find the blueprint, what you need to craft one, and how to get the most out of it.
You can play Subnautica 2 on Steam or on Xbox Game Preview right now during Early Access.
TL;DR
- Scan three Metal Farm fragments at the Karakorum Metal Fields to unlock the blueprint.
- The area is about 450 metres deep, northeast of the Alien Ruins Research Base.
- Each Metal Farm costs one Mangalloy Ingot and one Axum Bacterial Culture.
- Mangalloy Ingot needs a Titanium Ingot, Atacamite, and Troilite – all crafted at the Processor.
- The input ore is never consumed. One piece of Troilite or Atacamite can produce metal forever.
- Each farm uses 20 units of power and must be submerged to work.
- Build multiple farms and connect them to a strong power network for best results.
What Is the Metal Farm in Subnautica 2?
The Metal Farm is a base structure that pulls dissolved metal ions from the surrounding seawater and converts them into solid ore nodes over time. You place one piece of raw ore inside it, wait, and then harvest the result with your Sonic Resonator. The ore you insert is not consumed, so a single piece of metal can keep producing more indefinitely.
This makes it the only reliable long-term source of Troilite and Atacamite – two materials you need in large quantities for late-game crafting and the Alien Power Plant repair mission. Without a Metal Farm, you will run out fast.
If you want to understand how to power your base to run multiple farms, check out our guide on how to add power to your base in Subnautica 2.
Where to Find the Metal Farm Blueprint
You unlock the Metal Farm blueprint by scanning three Metal Farm fragments. All three are in the same location, so you do not need to search different biomes.
The fragments are at the Karakorum Metal Fields, located northeast of the Alien Ruins Research Base. The area sits roughly 450 metres deep in the Root Canyon biome. You will need your Tadpole submarine equipped with a Depth Module to reach it safely.
Look for the large glowing green pool. The broken Metal Farm structures are scattered around the multi-layered basin surrounding that pool. Scan any three of them and the blueprint is yours.
For help getting your Tadpole deep enough, see our guide on how to go deeper with the Tadpole Depth Module. And if you need to build a Tadpole from scratch, here is how to build a Tadpole in Subnautica 2.
Watch Out for the Collector Leviathan
A Collector Leviathan patrols the water above the Karakorum Metal Fields. The good news is that it will not notice you as long as you stay below 350 metres depth. Stick low, near the basin floor, and it should not be a problem.
Still, bring your Repair Tool for your Tadpole in case you take damage, and carry some healing items for yourself. To learn more about dealing with threats down here, read our guide on how to deal with hostile creatures in Subnautica 2. You can also learn more about the Collector Leviathan location if you want to plan your route around it.
What You Need to Build the Metal Farm
Once you have the blueprint, you craft the Metal Farm using the Habitat Builder. It appears in the Cultivation tab. Each Metal Farm costs:
- 1x Mangalloy Ingot
- 1x Axum Bacterial Culture
How to Get Axum Bacterial Culture
Axum Bacterial Cultures grow on round, organic growths found near the glowing green pool in the Karakorum Metal Fields area – the same place you scan the fragments. You can collect four to five per visit. Grab more than one if you plan to build multiple farms.
For a full breakdown, see our guide on how to get Axum Bacterial Culture in Subnautica 2.
How to Craft a Mangalloy Ingot
You craft Mangalloy Ingots at the Processor inside your base. Each ingot requires:
- 1x Titanium Ingot (crafted from 3x Titanium at the Processor)
- 1x Atacamite
- 1x Troilite
Titanium is one of the most common materials in the game. If you need more, here is how to get Titanium in Subnautica 2.
Atacamite comes from dark obsidian deposits near the Alien Ruins area. See our full guide on how to get Atacamite in Subnautica 2.
Troilite is the one to be careful with. It only appears as green ore deposits around the yellow metal fields at the Karakorum location. It does not respawn and does not appear anywhere else on the map in the current Early Access build. Grab as much as you can on your first visit. If you lose it before building your first Metal Farm, you will have serious trouble. Our full guide on where to find Troilite in Subnautica 2 has all the details.
If you have not built a Processor yet, read our guide on how to build a Processor and craft ingots in Subnautica 2.
How to Place and Set Up the Metal Farm
Once you have your materials, open the Habitat Builder and go to the Cultivation tab. The Metal Farm is a cultivation-type structure, which means it must be placed outside your base on a solid surface. It also must be submerged to function.
After placing it, interact with the device and insert one piece of ore into the internal storage slot. The farm will then start accumulating that resource over time. You can watch the filter at the bottom slowly rise as the mineral builds up. When it is full, harvest the ore node with your Sonic Resonator and the process starts again automatically.
The key thing to remember: the ore you insert is never consumed. One piece of Troilite or Atacamite keeps producing indefinitely.
Power Requirements
Each Metal Farm consumes 20 units of electricity while running. If your base loses power or runs low, the farm’s timer will pause. It resumes once sufficient power is restored, so you do not lose progress – but you do lose time.
If you are running multiple farms, you need a solid power setup. Hydropower setups work well because they are not tied to the time of day. Solar panels alone may not be enough at depth. Make sure your base can handle the load before building several farms at once.
For help planning your power setup, see our guide on how to add power to your base in Subnautica 2.
How to Use the Metal Farm Efficiently
Here are the best practices for getting the most out of your Metal Farms:
- Build multiple farms. Each farm only needs one ore input, and that ore is never used up. With more farms running, you get a faster overall supply of rare materials. Having three or four farms running together is very manageable if your power grid is strong.
- Farm different ores at the same time. You can load each farm with a different material. Run one on Troilite, another on Atacamite, and another on Conduit Crystal if you need it. Each farm produces whichever ore you loaded it with.
- Do not let power drop. The timer only runs while the farm is powered. Set up a reliable, always-on power source so you come back to ready resources every time.
- Use a Scanner Station to track output. If you have a Scanner Station set up, it can help you keep track of what materials are ready and where. See our guide on how to build a Scanner Station in Subnautica 2.
- Prioritise Troilite first. Since Troilite cannot be found elsewhere and does not respawn naturally, load your first Metal Farm with Troilite as soon as possible. This gives you a renewable source of a material that is otherwise permanently limited.
What Ores Can the Metal Farm Produce?
In the current Early Access build, the Metal Farm can produce any ore you place inside it. The most useful options are:
- Troilite – needed for Mangalloy Ingots and other advanced crafting
- Atacamite – used in Mangalloy Ingots and various equipment blueprints
- Conduit Crystal – useful for mid and late-game progression. See our guide on where to find Conduit Crystal in Subnautica 2.
The time each farm takes to produce one node varies depending on the mineral. Rarer and more complex ores may take longer.
Why the Metal Farm Is Worth the Effort
Getting to the Karakorum Metal Fields takes work. You need a Tadpole with a Depth Module, you need to navigate around a Leviathan, and you need to bring back enough materials for both the Mangalloy Ingot and the Axum Bacterial Culture.
But once your Metal Farm is running, it changes the game entirely. You stop worrying about running out of rare materials. Crafting the best upgrades and equipment becomes much easier. And since you can build multiple farms, your base becomes a self-sustaining production hub.
If you are still in the early stages and working on survival basics, check out our Subnautica 2 beginner tips and tricks and our guide on the best early upgrades and progression path. You can also read our guide on what to build in your base first to make sure you have the right foundations in place.
For everything else about the game, visit the official Subnautica website.
