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.)

Person holding a Nintendo Switch in a natural outdoor setting, perfect for on-the-go gaming. — Photo by Daniel J. Schwarz / Pexels

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.

A person holds a handheld gaming device outdoors with Pokémon Legends on screen. — Photo by Daniel J. Schwarz / Pexels

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.

Close-up of a person's hand holding a black handheld gaming console against a green outdoor background. — Photo by Daniel J. Schwarz / Pexels

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.

A close-up of hands holding an Xbox controller against a game screen, highlighting the gaming experience. — Photo by thiago japyassu / Pexels

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I have more than one passive biomod equipped?

No – current Early Access limits you to exactly one active and one passive. The Subnautica 2 roadmap (update 1.1) promises additional passive slots but no release date yet.

How do I unlock the Bioscanner?

Explore the Alien Ruins (found near the edge of the Kelp Zone). Inside you’ll find the Bioscanner upgrade module. Install it at the fabricator in the Welcome Center.

Which creature should I scan first?

Prioritize the Booma Ray (Sonic Echo) or Biter (Threat Sense) – both are common and give you combat or awareness benefits early. Avoid Gasopod hunting until you have a propulsion cannon.

Are biomods permanent?

No – you can swap them anytime at the Biolab in the Welcome Center. There’s no cost to unequip or change your loadout.

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.

Dragon Quest Xi S

Dragon Quest Xi S Beginner's Guide - Tips & Tricks