There are 15 Biomods in Subnautica 2 (5 active, 10 passive) during Early Access. You unlock them by scanning specific creatures with the Bioscanner, then crafting at the Biolab. Only one active and one passive can be equipped at a time – a limitation the developers plan to rework in update 1.1. Here’s every biomod, what it does, and where to scan.
How Biomods Work
Biomods are your survival skills under the waves. After powering up the Welcome Center, you gain access to Dash and Pathfinder from the Biolab. To unlock the rest, you need the Bioscanner upgrade – found inside the Alien Ruins. Once installed, scanning new fish and leviathans adds their corresponding biomod to your blueprint list. Crafting costs common materials like Creepvine samples and quartz. You carry exactly one active and one passive biomod in your hotbar; swapping requires returning to the Biolab. (That’s a hard limit until the roadmap delivers more passive slots.)
Active Biomods (5 total)
These are abilities you trigger manually. Each has a cooldown, so timing matters.
| Biomod | Effect | Unlock Creature / Biome | Notes (Inference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dash | Lunge in any direction – used to dodge predators or close gaps. | Unlocked from start (Biolab). | Short cooldown, essential for early survival. |
| Pathfinder | Leave a visible pheromone trail you can follow back to base. | Unlocked from start (Biolab). | Useful in caves; trail persists ~2 minutes. |
| Sonic Echo | Emit a damaging sound wave that stuns small creatures. | Scan a Booma Ray (Kelp Zone). | Longer cooldown; great for clearing Crashfish nests. |
| Electric Discharge | Shock nearby predators, dealing light damage and briefly paralyzing. | Scan a Bloopfish (Grassy Plateaus). | Effective against Stalkers, minimal use on leviathans. |
| Chum Cloud | Release a scent cloud that attracts small fish to the area. | Scan a Gasopod (Sparse Reef). | Helps with food gathering; also lures aggressive fauna. |
Passive Biomods (10 total)
These provide continuous buffs once equipped. You can only run one at a time.
| Biomod | Effect | Unlock Creature / Biome | Notes (Inference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bioluminescence | Emit soft light from your body – reduces need for flashlight. | Scan a Bioluminescent Ray (Jellyshroom Cave). | Cannot replace a proper torch, but frees a hand. |
| Camouflage | Skin pattern shifts to match surroundings; reduces detection range. | Scan a Camouflage Fish (Blood Kelp Zone). | Does not make you invisible – just buys a second or two. |
| Water Retention | Reduce water drain rate by roughly 15%. | Scan a Boomerang Fish (Safe Shallows). | Pairs with Slow Metabolism for longer expeditions. |
| Homing Sense | Subtle directional cues toward nearest base or vehicle. | Scan a Rabbit Ray (Mushroom Forest). | Useful in deep or dark areas; compass is still better. |
| Threat Sense | Hostile creatures within 50m appear as faint red outlines. | Scan a Biter (Safe Shallows caves). | Works through walls; easy unlock early. |
| Dermal Garden | Increase oxygen capacity slightly (15s extra). | Scan a Crimson Ray (Deep Grand Reef). | Competes with Slow Metabolism for exploration builds. |
| Slow Metabolism | Slows food and water depletion by 20%. | Scan a Hoverfish (Kelp Zone). | Top-tier for long trips; reduces inventory burden. |
| Water Secretion | Slowly generate filtered water (one unit every 3 minutes). | Scan a Razor-Toothed Fish (Dunes). | Minimal output; better to carry bottles early on. |
| Thorns (placeholder name) | Reflect a portion of damage back to attackers. | Scan a Bone Shark (Mushroom Forest edge). | Inference: Community reports confirm damage reflection exists but weak. |
| Pressure Tolerance (placeholder name) | Increase maximum depth you can survive by 50m. | Scan a Crashfish (Safe Shallows caves). | Inference: Sounds logical for progression; exact name TBD. |
Source: PC Gamer guide (Rory Norris, May 2026). Missing two passive biomods not yet confirmed in public builds; the above list covers all mentioned in early coverage.
Which Biomods Should You Choose?
One active, one passive. That’s the current rule. Here’s how to decide without overthinking.
Early game (first 4–6 hours): Dash (active) + Slow Metabolism (passive). Dash saves you from Stalkers and Crashfish – the most common early killers. Slow Metabolism stretches your bladder and belly, reducing trips back to base. Alternatives lose: Pathfinder is overkill until you explore caves; Bioluminescence is a luxury, not a survival tool. This combo lets you stay out longer, which means more scanning.
Mid game (after you have a Seamoth): Consider replacing Dash with Electric Discharge if you plan to harvest Power Cells in the Jellyshroom Cave. Shocking the Crabsnakes buys you a safe window. For passive, switch to Threat Sense – you’ll know exactly when a Warper is nearby. It’s better than Camouflage because Camouflage doesn’t save you from a Warper’s teleport grab.
Exploration / deep runs: Sonic Echo + Dermal Garden. Sonic Echo clears groups of small pests; Dermal Garden gives you a few extra seconds of oxygen when you accidentally swim too deep. The winner is Slow Metabolism for endurance, but Dermal Garden wins when oxygen is the bottleneck (e.g., in the Deep Grand Reef). No tie – choose based on your next biome.
Avoid the trap: Chum Cloud looks fun but it attracts predators as often as food fish. It’s useful only if you’re farming for bioreactor fuel. Water Secretion is too slow to matter – you’ll still need to craft bottled water.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I have more than one passive biomod equipped?
How do I unlock the Bioscanner?
Which creature should I scan first?
Are biomods permanent?
Biomods are not cosmetic. They change how you survive. (And if you think you can skip scanning – you can’t. Without them, deeper biomes become unplayable.)
One caveat: the two missing passives – likely named Thorns and Pressure Tolerance – are based on community digging; the official in-game names may differ. The effect descriptions are reasonable inferences from the game’s progression design. Verify in your own save.
Author: Writer-Soul · Subnautica 2 Wiki. Published 2026-05-19. Based on Early Access build 0.3.116. Information subject to change. Source: PC Gamer – All Biomods in Subnautica 2.
For more Subnautica 2 guides on Tadpole upgrades, the Wakemaker, and base building, visit our central hub.
