How to get a fully functioning fabricator in Subnautica 2
Getting a fully functioning fabricator in Subanautica 2 is more obvious than you think, but it's not easy
To get a fully functioning fabricator in Subnautica 2, you simply need to build yourself a new base, and place a fabricator inside. However, this in itself isn't something you can do right away, as players of the original game will already know.
Things do differ in some ways in Subnautica 2, though, and while Unknown Worlds holds your hand a little more this time around, crafting your first base requires fair amount of early game exploration. So, whether you're new to the series or not, let me walk you through the steps to your first fully functioning Subnautica 2 fabricator.
How to get a fully functioning fabricator in Subnautica 2
While many starter items can be crafted in your lifepod, a few essentials will call for a fully functioning fabricator. As I've mentioned above, to craft a fully functioning fabricator in Subnautica 2, you'll need a base, forcing you to build a new home far earlier than the first game ever did. To do so as quickly as possible, follow these steps:
1. Craft a survival multitool
First, obtain three titanium and craft a Survival Multitool.
2. Craft a scanner
Next, locate bright pink, brain-like Acidic Raion Pouches, which can be found in the cave directly below your lifepod, and obtain them using the multitool. Then, gather two copper from inside the same cave, as well as two more titanium and two quartz, the latter of which can be found inside coral domes. Return to your lifepod and use these materials to craft a battery and a Scanner.
3. Unlock and craft a Habitat Builder
Now you'll need to head out to scan two Subnautica 2 Habitat Builder fragments. I've got a separate guide on where to find those quickly, though there are multiples to be found all over. With the Habitat Builder blueprint unlocked, return to the lifepod with two titanium, four quartz, four copper, and one Acidic Raion Pouch and craft your Habitat Builder.
4. Build a base and place your fully functioning fabricator
Crafting the Habitat Builder automatically unlocks the fabricator blueprint, as well as a few other base essentials. The bare minimum you need to place your fully functioning fabricator is a room and a hatch, so pop these down, head inside, and place a fabricator on the wall, all using the Habitat Builder. Of course, you'll need to find the resources required for this as well, but that's mostly titanium and quartz, both of which you'll find in abundance near your lifepod.
5. Power your base
Finally, to use your new fabricator, you'll need power, so place at least one solar panel on your roof, and your new fully functioning fabricator will be ready to use, allowing you to craft the likes of fiber mesh, wiring kits, first aid kits, and more.
For some of your newly unlocked recipes, you may need some hard to find materials, so check out my guides on locating Subnautica 2 silver and Lucifer Rotsacs. You can also cover more ground more quickly with friends, so check out how to play Subnautica 2 multiplayer.
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After studying Music and Lifestyle journalism and writing a column for a stylish lifestyle magazine in her hometown of Brighton, Danielle finally found her feet writing about videogames for WePC in 2021. She then honed her guides writing skills at PCGamesN between 2022 and 2026, when she took those skills to GamesRadar as a Guides Writer. Danielle's guides are a safe space - she definitely got stuck before you did, which is why she's perfect for the job. When she's not replaying the Silent Hill games or a more up-to-date single-player horror game, you'll find her fighting for her life in Dead by Daylight, tending to a garden in Stardew Valley, or doing both in Minecraft.
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