Subnautica 2: How To Unlock & Build Tadpole

Jessica Turner

Jun 24, 2026

Tadpole is your personal vehicle in Subnautica 2 that replaces swimming as your main way of exploring the ocean. This is the crucial progression tool in the game because it unlocks access to deeper caves, wrecks, and exploration missions. Crafting the Tadpole can be challenging because you’re required to find fragments, unlock the blueprint, and build the base vehicle system. This vehicle can also be upgraded later with modules like armor, depth, and efficiency. Using it can make resource gathering safer and provide reliable oxygen during long dives. Let’s explore how to unlock & build Tadpole in Subnautica 2, including all available upgrades.

How the Tadpole Works

Tadpole is the submersible vehicle you can build in Subnautica 2. This early game mini-submarine lets you travel much faster than swimming. Not only that, but it also provides an unlimited oxygen supply and allows you to safely explore deeper biomes. You use the Tadpole's power system instead of your personal oxygen tank after getting inside this vehicle. It can also be upgraded with Depth Modules to reach much deeper areas of the ocean. Unlike a simple vehicle, the Tadpole is designed around interchangeable chassis and upgrades. Looking to get the Subnautica 2 game key, then LootBar is the most reliable option due to a cheaper rate, instant delivery, and 24/7 customer service.

You can install the following modules after obtaining the Modification Station.

Depth Modules
Engine Efficiency upgrades
Armor or protection modules
Cargo-focused chassis upgrades
Other specialized exploration modules

You can’t just get the Tadpole for free, but you have to scan three Tadpole fragments to unlock the blueprint. After that, build a Moonpool and Vehicle Fabricator. Then you gather the required materials to construct the vehicle using a Vehicle Fabricator. The game becomes much easier once you have it, as many resources and story areas revolve around this vehicle.

Requirement To Build Tadpole

The first objective to build Tadpole is to unlock its blueprint and set up the required vehicle-building infrastructure. Below are all the requirements to craft the vehicle in Subnautica 2.

Scan 3 Tadpole Fragments.
Unlock the Tadpole blueprint.
Gain access to the Moonpool, Tadpole Dock, and Vehicle Fabricator blueprints.

You cannot build the Tadpole directly from a standard Fabricator, so you need Moonpool, Tadpole Dock, and Vehicle Fabricator. Make sure to have the following things before hunting for Tadpole fragments.

Habitat Builder
Functional base
Processor for smelting ingots
Resource storage
Plenty of Titanium, Copper, Silver, Quartz, and Battery materials

How To Find Tadpole Fragments

You need to scan 3 Tadpole Fragments to unlock the Tadpole blueprint. Fortunately, there are more than three fragments in the world, so choose the easiest route.

Fragment #1 – South of the Lifepod

This fragment is located near the seabed among wreckage in Subnautica 2. Make sure to swim through 160 meters south-southwest from the Lifepod. Look for debris and a cliffside ridge descending into a crater. I recommend bringing a Scanner and a standard air tank. Keep following the debris trail heading south and descend carefully to around 90-100 meters. Once you find it, scan the fragment and return to the surface if oxygen gets low.

Fragment #2 – Giant Calm Area

You can find this second fragment to the south of the first fragment. You'll encounter a giant clam-like formation with oxygen bubbles nearby. The second fragment can be found in the hole west of the clam. Use the oxygen bubbles around the clam to refill oxygen. Make sure to search the western side of the area and scan the fragment before moving on.

Fragment #3 – Colonist Bunker

Make your way northwest from the clam area and find the Colonist Bunker with a distinctive red hatch. You can find this fragment available on a shelf or wall rack inside. Get ready to travel about 250-300 meters southwest of the Lifepod. Once there, descend to 90 meters and enter the bunker through the red hatch. Approach the fragment and use the scanner to scan it. This is the easiest route, letting you unlock the Tadpole very early and also providing access to useful blueprints like the Rebreather.

Fragment #4 - Old Habitat ruins

This is another location to find a Tadpole Fragment in Subnautica 2. Start from your Lifepod and swim roughly 370-430 meters north. Look for the large abandoned colony structure known as the Old Habitat. You enter this area while completing the main story when NOA eventually sends you to investigate black boxes. After making your way over there, circle the habitat and move toward the back section of the colony ruins. Make sure to look among the scattered wreckage and ruined structures behind the habitat. The Tadpole fragment should be sitting near the exterior debris field, ready to scan.

How To Craft Moonpol, Vehicle Fabricator, and Processor

The Moonpol is a base module that basically works for vehicle construction and docking. You must first build a room, then attach the Moonpool. Make sure to leave plenty of open water beneath it to expand the room or Moonpool to fit vehicle equipment later. The Vehicle Fabricator is unlocked automatically when you unlock the Tadpole blueprint.

Scan 3 Tadpole Fragments.
Unlock the Tadpole blueprint.
Open the Habitat Builder menu and find the Vehicle Fabricator under Standard Elements.

Keep in mind that you cannot place Vehicle Fabricator on a wall. This requires you to attach it directly to the edge of a Moonpool. You cannot craft the Processor immediately, so you must scan a broken one in the world. Get inside the Old Habitat ruins and enter the main structure. Look for a broken Processor unit and use the Scanner to scan it. Once unlocked, build it using the Habitat Builder. The Tadpole Dock is the last item in the list that unlocks by scanning 3x Tadpole Fragments. Once unlocked, the Tadpole Dock is built using the Habitat Builder. The dock is a Moonpool attachment, so it cannot be placed anywhere. Tadpole Dock stores your Tadpole safely and recharges its power cell.

Item	Required Materials
Moonpool	4x Titanium
Vehicle Fabricator	2x Titanium Ingot 1x Copper Ingot 2x Glass
Processor	2x Titanium 1x Mild Acid 1x Copper Wiring
Tadpole Dock	2x Titanium Ingot 1x Silver Ingot 2x Copper Wire

How To Get the Required Materials

The biggest challenges for the players are to find the required materials for Moonpole, Vehicle Fabricator, and Processor. Here’s how you can get all the required materials for building these items.

Titanium: Scattered on the seafloor in shallow biomes or found in rock outcrops and scrap debris.
Titanium Ingot: Collect Raw Titanium and build a Processor in your base. Put 3x Titanium to get 1x Titanium Ingot.
Copper: Enter shallow caves near Lifepod and look up at cave ceilings.
Glass: Bright white crystal clusters located in shallow caves, coral fields, or the seabed near Lifepod. 2x Quartz → 1x Glass
Copper Wire: Open Fabricator, go to electronics, and select Copper Wire. 2x Copper → 1x Copper Wire.
Mild Acid: Craft it using 2x Acidic Raion Pouch and 1x Copper. Acidic Raion Pouch is harvested from special glowing underwater plants.

How To Build Tadpole

Once you’ve collected everything, building the Tadpole is not done in your inventory. The game requires you to use the Moonpool setup and Vehicle Fabricator. Make sure to have a Moonpool before crafting. You should also have a properly placed Vehicle Fabricator attached to the Moonpool. Here are the steps to build Tadpole in Subnautica 2.

Get inside the base and swim into your Moonpool area.
Go to the Vehicle Fabricator terminal and open the vehicle menu.
Select the Tadpole recipe from the list in the menu.
Once you confirm, the Fabricator begins construction.
The Tadpole appears inside the Moonpool docking area.

All Available Tadpole Upgrades

The Tadpole in Subnautica 2 has two distinct types of upgrades (Module Upgrades & Chassis Upgrades). The Module Upgrades are installed in upgrade slots, while Chassis Upgrades change the mechanics of the vehicle.

Upgrade	Effect	Required Materials	Blueprint Location
Engine Efficiency	Reduces power usage by 20% per stack Can stack multiple times	1x Titanium Ingot 2x Glass 1x System Chip	Found in Alien Ruins Research Base. Sits on a table or inside a control room.
Cavitation Muffler	Reduces noise output Makes Tadpole less detectable by predators	3x Titanium 2x Strontium	Located near Blackbox trench or stealth research zones. You can find it as a data card pickup, not scanned.
Photovoltaic Charger	Passively recharges Tadpole in shallow water and daylight conditions	1x Copper Ingot 1x Strong Acid 1x Troilite	Found in sunlit shallow research zones. Usually near early exploration paths or wreck edges.
Depth Module Mk. I	Allows deeper diving before hull damage. Unlocks mid-game deep biomes.	3x Celestine 2x Enameled Glass 1x System Chip	Located in Needler Nest or alien biome outskirts. Usually southeast of the main research base.
Usually southeast of the main research base	Increase acceleration and turn rate.	2x Plasteel Ingot 1x Advanced Wiring Kit 1x Dedicated Core 1x Strong Acid	Located inside the Tadpole Pens.

You install everything using a Modification Station or upgrade interface in your base. You can equip 4 modules at once, and some modules like Engine Efficiency are stackable.

Conclusion

Swimming in the deeper area in Subnautica 2 without using any vehicle can lead you into trouble, so that’s where Tadpole comes in. This completely replaces early-game swimming as your main travel method and acts as a progression milestone. The exploration becomes much faster, and you get unlimited oxygen. Unlock its blueprint, build base infrastructure, and craft Tadpole at Vehicle Fabricator. Titanium Ingots, Glass, System Chip, and Power Cell are the required materials for Tadpole’s recipe. If you still haven’t got a Subnautica 2 game key, LootBar offers the best deal that you shouldn’t miss.