Subnautica 2 Creature Database 2026: Biome, Threat, Depth Catalog
Subnautica 2 launches today. The first thing players want, after recovering from the opening sequence, is a creature reference: what’s in the kelp forest, what hides in the deep, and which leviathans are about to ruin our day. This is the launch-window catalog. Filter by biome, filter by threat tier, search by name, and find what you’ll be diving into next.
How to read the catalog
Each card shows the species, its primary biome, the rough depth zone, and a behavior blurb. Cards are coded by biome (the colored stripe on the left) and threat tier (the corner label):
- Passive (green): no aggression. Safe to approach, often a food source.
- Wary (yellow): flees on contact, may attack if cornered.
- Aggressive (pink): actively hunts the player or attacks on sight.
- Leviathan (red): apex predator-tier. Leviathans deserve their own respect; even non-hostile ones (Reefback) can squash a Seamoth on accident.
The biome filter at the top lets you focus on a specific zone. If you’re heading to the Lava Zone for the first time, filter to that biome and check what’s down there before you dive.
Returning species
Most creatures from the original Subnautica appear in Subnautica 2 either as direct returns or as evolved variants of the same species. The launch catalog reflects this: Peeper, Boomerang, Stalker, Sand Shark, Reaper Leviathan, Ghost Leviathan, Sea Dragon Leviathan, Reefback, Cuddlefish, all confirmed.
Where Subnautica 2 differs is in the new biomes (Arctic / Ice zones) and the new leviathan species (Frostfang, plus the long-teased Gargantuan in late-game content).
Threat tier strategy
The threat tiers correspond directly to your gear progression:
- Pre-Seamoth (early game): stay in Passive + Wary biomes. Safe Shallows and Kelp Forest with knife and scanner.
- Seamoth tier: Aggressive species become manageable. Avoid Leviathans entirely.
- Prawn Suit / Cyclops tier: Leviathans become survivable encounters with proper retreat planning.
- Endgame (Lava Zone, Deep): Leviathans are still the dominant threat; Sea Dragon Leviathan and Gargantuan in particular need full preparation.
The big leviathan question
Subnautica 1’s Reaper Leviathan defined the franchise’s horror. Subnautica 2 adds new leviathans without diluting that fear. The Frostfang (ice biome) is a pack-hunter, which is mechanically different from the lone-territory Reaper. The Gargantuan, teased through fossilized remains in early access, is the new “what is THAT” moment for late-game players.
The catalog flags every Leviathan in red. If you’re allergic to leviathan encounters (a totally valid play style), filter them out. The shallows + kelp + jellyshroom catalog alone is enough creatures for the early-mid game.
Cuddlefish and the rest
Cuddlefish returns. Subnautica 2 brings back the egg-hatching system: find a Cuddlefish egg in the deep zones, hatch it back at base, and the resulting creature follows you indefinitely. The Snowstalker Pup from Below Zero also returns as the Arctic biome’s tameable companion.
Cuddlefish farming is, as always, a strange but rewarding side-objective. Multiple Cuddlefish can stack in one alien containment unit and provide a moving, glowing decoration in your base.
Multiplayer and creature behavior
Subnautica 2’s multiplayer adds a new dimension to creature encounters. Stalkers in your kelp forest can be aggro’d by one player and then chase another player who didn’t even see them. Reapers tracking a Seamoth might switch targets if a second player drives by in a Prawn. Mid-game encounters become noticeably different from solo play.
The catalog covers solo behavior. Multiplayer-specific behavior shifts (multi-target aggro, sub-vs-sub priority) emerge from playtest data; we’ll update entries as patterns become clear.
Hosting a Subnautica 2 dedicated server
Multiplayer Subnautica 2 runs best on a dedicated server when your group spans multiple time zones or wants persistent world progression. Our managed Subnautica 2 hosting handles the launch-day rush: instant deployment, automated daily backups (critical because losing your base to a save corruption hurts), and panel-based config for game rules.
For more on Subnautica 2’s launch state, multiplayer, and the differences from the first game, see our companion articles: Launch-day server setup, Subnautica 2 vs Subnautica 1: every difference, and Crossplay across PS5, Xbox, and PC.
This is a living catalog
Launch day means players verify in-game data over the next two weeks. The catalog will update with confirmed depths, drops, scan rewards, and new species as community data lands. If you spot an inaccuracy or a missing species, let us know and we’ll update.