Unlocking all the Subnautica 2 Adaptations is key to exploring the game’s vast, alien setting. Hidden across the map, these genetic enhancements enable you to pull off inhuman feats like breathing pressurised air, eating alien matter without getting sick, and swimming in near-boiling water. At the moment, there are four Adaptations in Subnautica 2, with at least two more to come as early access progresses, and our guide explains not only where to find these first four, but also what their DNA-altering effects are.
All Subnautica 2 Adaptations
There are four Adaptations in Subnautica 2 early access, and they're all located in the fleshy purple stomachs of the coral structures called Subnautica 2 Angel Combs. The first two are straightforward and only require interacting with a healthy Angel Comb. The latter two, on the other hand, involve avoiding predatory marine life and healing an underwater infection. Here’s everything you need to know.
Pressure Tolerance adaptation
The Pressure Tolerance Adaptation is unmissable, as it’s located in the ship's lab, as an essential part of Subnautica 2’s dramatic opening tutorial. Once activated, this Adaptation allows you to breathe pressurised air.
Digestion adaptation
When you emerge from your lifepod, your hunger and thirst quickly start creeping up, and if you try eating the strange sea life around you, you'll soon realize it makes you ill. A tricky predicament, but that's where the Digestion Adaptation comes in. This Adaptation allows you to eat the flora and fauna of Subnuatica 2’s alien world without getting ill.
To find this Adaptation, head out the front door of the Lifepod on a bearing of 30 degrees for 150m. Soon enough, you’ll reach an Angel Comb splayed out proudly on the ocean floor. Once you locate the fleshy purple centre and interact with it, you’ll be able to slurp up as many Geordies and Halfmoons as you please.
Heat Tolerance
The Heat Tolerance Adaptation is a bit harder to find. Still, it’s essential, as it allows you to swim in water warmer than 80 degrees, making it a necessary part of exploring the hot Graveyard biome and progressing the main story.
To find the Heat Tolerance Adaptation, travel 190-200 metres from the Life Pod, at a bearing of 285 degrees. Unlike the first two, this Angel Comb is locked shut, thanks to a Viral Infection. To free the Angel Comb and unlock the Adaptation, you need to take your Sonic Resonator, aim it at a Bloom Canker, and hit the trigger. Once all nearby Bloom Cankers have been destroyed, you’ll be able to access the Adaptation.
If you’re stuck fighting off the infection, never fear, as we have a specific guide for getting the Subnautica 2 Heat Adaptation that explains the process step by step.
Axum Vision
The Axum Vision Adaptation lets you interact with Axum technology throughout Subnautica 2. This Angel Comb is located quite a distance from the central crash site, at 1800m from the Life Pod, near the Alien Ruins.
The process for healing this Angel Comb is similar to the previous Angel Comb, in that it involves destroying Bloom Cankers while avoiding vicious sea life. Notably, the Bloom Cankers this time are pink in colour, and snap shut when you get too close. To dispose of these pesky new growths, you need to use the Feedback Resonator, which is an upgraded version of the Sonic Resonator.
As you may have noticed, the Adaptation submenu features two more items than we’ve covered. That’s because more Angel Combs are being added later, in line with Subnautica 2’s roadmap. As such, be sure to check back regularly, as we’ll continue to update this guide as new content arrives.
If you’re having a hard time collecting all the resources needed to craft, check out our guides on how to unlock the Metal Farm. Or if you’ve graduated into the mid- to late-game and are struggling with where to find Axum Bacterial Cultures, we’ve got you covered there, too.
