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  1. Games
  2. Survival Games
  3. Subnautica 2

How to get the Subnautica 2 improved fins upgrade

Guides
By Danielle Rose published 19 May 2026

The improved fins upgrade in Subnautica 2 gets you swimming faster, and you're going to need them to swim away from Needlers

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A pair of improved fins in Subnautica 2
(Image credit: Unknown Worlds)
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Improved fins are one of the Subnautica 2 essentials that you're probably going to be looking for before you've even crafted your first pair of basic fins. Much like the devices that grant you more oxygen, better fins are just one of the quintessential Subnautica items that make your life underwater that much simpler.

To get the fin upgrade in Subnautica 2, you'll need to find three discarded pairs of the fins and scan them, thus unlocking the blueprint. Luckily, there are three pairs of improved fins very close together, but that location is a few hours into the story. I'll try and be as light on spoilers here as possible, but you should be warned this is mid-game content so some things could be ruined.

How to get Improved Fins in Subnautica 2

A player scans a pair of improved fins in Subnautica 2

(Image credit: Unknown Worlds)

You won't get improved fins until the mid-game, once you've obtained the Subnautica 2 heat adaptation and found the tadpole pens key code. If you haven't, turn away now to avoid spoilers, and come back when you have!

Once you've explored the tadpole pens, you should have received a new location marker for 'Alien Ruins'. Using your tadpole (it's a long journey), head over to this exciting new waypoint, which really sets the story in motion.

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Once you've found the Alien Ruins habitat, improved fins can be found and scanned at these three nearby locations:

  • Follow the cable out of the Alien Ruins habitat for 60m, 165 degrees south southeast, 160m below.
  • Keep heading in the same direction for another 170m (236m from habitat), 190m below the surface.
  • directly below the one above

To get to that last one, you'll need to exit your tadpole at around 250m below to ensure you don't damage your vehicle. That said, you will be surrounded by Needlers which also do significant damage to your tadpole, so make sure you've got a repair tool to hand and be as quick as possible. You've probably already got your Subnautica 2 Rebreather by now, but if not, you'll need that too.

In this new area, you'll also find some brand-new materials, including Conduit Crystals, which you'll need to craft your new improved fins, alongside Fiber Mesh and your old basic fins. We've got a guide to finding Conduit Crystals in Subnautica 2 coming shortly.

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CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Xbox Series X Platforms Xbox
Danielle Rose
Danielle Rose
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Guides Writer

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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