Subnautica 2 Blueprint Scan Priority: What to Scan First

Blueprint Scanning Overview and the Scanner

The scanner is your primary tool for technological progression in Subnautica 2. By scanning fragments, wreckage, and flora, you unlock blueprints for new tools, vehicles, base modules, and equipment. Without scanning, you are stuck with the most basic recipes forever. This makes the scanner one of your first and most important crafts, and understanding what to scan first is the key to an efficient playthrough.

The scanner is crafted from a battery and titanium, both available in the early game. Once equipped, approach any scannable object and hold the action button. Most objects require multiple scans to complete a blueprint -- typically three fragment scans -- so you will need to find several copies of each fragment across different wreck sites. The HUD shows your scan progress for each blueprint.

Scan everything you encounter, even if it seems unimportant. Many blueprints are unlocked by scanning natural objects like plants, coral, and creatures, not just wreckage. The database fills out as you scan, and some entries reveal lore, recipe hints, or story progression. A thorough scanner unlocks the full tech tree far faster than a selective one.

• Craft the scanner early from a battery and titanium.
• Most blueprints need 3 fragment scans.
• Scan natural objects, not just wreckage.
• The database fills out as you scan.

Early Game Scan Priority

In the early game, your scan priority should focus on tools and survival equipment that expand your capabilities. The most important early scans are the habitat builder fragments, which unlock base building and transform your survival experience. Scan any habitat builder fragments you find in shallow wrecks immediately. The water filtration machine and solar panel fragments are also high priority, because they secure your water and power needs.

Next, prioritize the Seaglide fragments. The Seaglide is a handheld propulsion device that dramatically increases your swim speed, letting you explore faster and escape predators. It is one of the biggest quality-of-life upgrades in the early game. The high-capacity oxygen tank fragments are also critical, because extending your dive time is essential for reaching deeper resources.

Scan the survival knife upgrades, swim fin fragments, and beacon fragments as you find them. The repair tool blueprint is often unlocked by scanning, so prioritize it early. Do not neglect natural scans -- scan every new plant, fish, and coral you encounter, because some unlock recipes for food, medicine, or materials. A wide early scan net pays dividends throughout the game.

Mid Game Scan Priority and Vehicle Blueprints

As you transition to the mid game, your scan priority shifts to vehicles and base utilities. The Seamoth fragments are your top target, because the Seamoth is the first vehicle and a game-changer for exploration and oxygen supply. Scan Seamoth fragments in mid-depth wrecks and around the aurora debris field. The moon pool fragments are equally important, because docking and auto-repairing the Seamoth requires one.

The mobile vehicle bay fragments are essential -- this is the crafting station that lets you build the Seamoth and later the Prawn Suit and Cyclops. Without it, you cannot construct any vehicle, so finding its fragments is a hard gate on your progression. Scan vehicle modification station fragments to unlock the module bay that lets you install Seamoth and Prawn Suit upgrades.

Base utility scans include the bioreactor, water filtration machine, scanner room, and indoor growbeds. These transform your base from a shelter into a functional habitat. The scanner room is especially valuable, because it reveals nearby resources and wrecks, accelerating your scan progress in a feedback loop. Scan the propulsion cannon and stasis rifle fragments for tools that help with exploration and defense.

During this phase, systematically sweep wreck sites and debris fields. Each wreck typically contains several fragment types, so a single dive can unlock multiple blueprints. Bring a Seamoth for oxygen and a beacon to mark the wreck for return visits.

Late Game Scan Priority and Endgame Tech

In the late game, your scan priority targets the most advanced technology in the game. The Cyclops fragments are spread across multiple deep wrecks and are essential for building the submarine. The Prawn Suit fragments are similarly scattered, and you need both to access the deepest resources and precursor ruins. These scans require deep-diving capability and combat readiness, so do not attempt them until you have a Seamoth with depth modules and defensive upgrades.

The nuclear reactor fragments unlock the most powerful base power source, and the thermal plant fragments give you free energy near heat vents. Scan the Cyclops shield generator, decoy launcher, and fire suppression upgrades to make your submarine survivable in leviathan territory. The Prawn Suit drill arm, grapple arm, and torpedo arm fragments unlock the suit's full utility.

Precursor ruins are the final scan targets. Scan every terminal, door, and artifact in these structures, because they unlock the story progression and the cure blueprint. The ion cube fabricator, precursor teleporters, and the quarantine enforcement platform all require scans to activate. These are the scans that complete the game, so approach them methodically with top-tier gear.

By the late game, you should have a scanner room at your main base to locate remaining fragments efficiently. Use it to pinpoint the last few blueprints you are missing, then plan targeted expeditions to collect them. Completing the tech tree is deeply satisfying and prepares you fully for the endgame.

• Cyclops and Prawn Suit fragments are top late-game targets.
• Nuclear reactor and thermal plant for base power.
• Cyclops defensive upgrades for survival.
• Precursor ruins unlock the story and cure.