Subnautica 2 Vehicle Depth Upgrades & Module Optimization Guide

Vehicle Upgrade System Overview

Subnautica 2 features a robust vehicle upgrade system that lets you customize both the Seatruck and Prawn Suit for different roles. Each vehicle has multiple upgrade slots and dozens of possible modules, from depth upgrades to weapons to utility tools. Understanding how these upgrades work and which ones to prioritize is essential for mid-game progression.

Both vehicles use the same upgrade console system, but the available modules differ significantly. The Seatruck focuses on mobility, cargo, and crew transport, while the Prawn Suit is built for heavy labor, deep diving, and combat. Upgrading intelligently means picking modules that complement each vehicle's strengths rather than trying to make one vehicle do everything.

Upgrade Slot Count by Vehicle

Modules are crafted at the Vehicle Modification Station, which you unlock by finding its data box. Some advanced modules require additional blueprints found in wrecks, abandoned bases, and deep-sea research facilities. The most powerful upgrades are often guarded by dangerous creatures or hidden in hard-to-reach locations, so exploration is rewarded.

Seatruck Depth Modules & Locations

The Seatruck is your primary exploration vehicle, and its depth limit is one of the most important stats to upgrade. Without depth modules, the Seatruck can only safely reach 200 meters before crush damage begins. With full upgrades, it can dive to 1000 meters or more, opening up the entire map.

Depth modules stack, and each one increases your maximum safe depth. The Mk1 module adds 200 meters (total 400m), Mk2 adds another 300 meters (total 700m), and Mk3 adds 500 meters (total 1200m). You can equip all three simultaneously for maximum depth, but this uses three of your valuable upgrade slots.

Depth Module Locations and Requirements

Finding the Mk1 blueprint is usually your first mid-game goal. Head to the Grassy Plateaus biome and look for a large wreck section at around 150 meters depth. The data box is inside the wreck's control room, behind a door that requires a laser cutter. Bring a sea glide and plenty of oxygen -- you will need it.

The Mk2 module is trickier. The blueprint is in the Deep Lilypads Caves, which requires at least Mk1 depth and a reliable light source. Look for the cave entrance beneath the lily pad islands. The wreck is guarded by bone sharks, so come prepared with a stasis rifle or repulsion cannon.

Prawn Suit Depth Modules & Locations

The Prawn Suit is designed for extreme depths, but even it starts with a modest 400 meter crush depth. Upgrading the Prawn Suit's depth rating unlocks the deepest biomes, including the Crystal Caves, Lava Zone, and Abyss. The Prawn Suit has more upgrade slots than the Seatruck, making it easier to fit depth upgrades alongside utility and combat modules.

Prawn Suit depth modules follow a similar progression to the Seatruck but with higher base values. The Mk1 adds 300 meters (700m total), Mk2 adds 500 meters (1200m total), and Mk3 adds 800 meters (2000m total). These are the highest depth ratings in the game, and the Mk3 module is required to reach the absolute bottom of the map.

Prawn Suit Depth Module Locations

The Prawn Suit Mk1 blueprint is relatively easy to find. Head to the Redrock Zone and look for a mining outpost built into a cave wall. The data box is on a desk inside. You will need a laser cutter to get through the sealed door. The walk there is shallow enough for a Sea Glide, but watch out for sand sharks.

The Mk2 and Mk3 modules require progressively deeper dives. You will need the Prawn Suit itself (or a heavily upgraded Seatruck) just to reach their blueprint locations. Plan a proper expedition with food, water, spare power cells, and a repair tool before attempting to retrieve these high-value blueprints.

Best Seatruck Module Combinations

With limited upgrade slots, choosing the right Seatruck modules depends on what you are doing. A mining expedition needs different loadouts than a scouting trip or a combat encounter. Here are the optimal module combinations for common mid-game activities.

For general exploration, the "Adventurer" loadout gives you maximum versatility. Equip Depth Mk2 for reach, a Storage Module for loot, a Solar Charger for free surface energy, and a Speed Upgrade for quick travel. This setup works for 90% of what you will do in the mid-game, from wreck diving to resource gathering.

Seatruck Loadout Comparison

One underrated module is the Seatruck Perimeter Defense System. It discharges an electrical pulse that stuns nearby creatures, giving you time to escape dangerous encounters. It is especially useful in the Bone Shark Fields and Leviathan habitats. Pair it with the Shield Generator for maximum survivability.

Do not sleep on the Seatruck Fabricator Module either. Having a fabricator on board means you can process ore into ingots mid-expedition, effectively doubling your storage capacity. For long mining trips, the fabricator module pays for itself in one run.

Best Prawn Suit Module Combinations

The Prawn Suit is the workhorse of late-game Subnautica 2. With its drill arms, grappling hook, and heavy armor, it can go places and do things that the Seatruck cannot. But with great power comes great complexity -- figuring out the best module loadout is crucial.

The first decision is your arm loadout. The Prawn Suit has two arm slots and multiple options: the standard Punch Arm, the Drill Arm for mining, the Grappling Hook for mobility, the Propulsion Cannon for utility, and the Torpedo Arm for combat. For most players, Drill Arm + Grappling Hook is the default PvE setup -- you can mine anything and move quickly.

Prawn Suit Loadout Comparison

The Jump Jet Upgrade is one of the most impactful Prawn Suit modules. It increases jump height by 50% and gives you more air control, completely changing how the vehicle handles. For cave exploration and vertical traversal, a double Jump Jet upgrade makes the Prawn Suit feel like a completely different machine.

For combat builds, the Torpedo Arm combined with the Shield Generator lets you take on leviathans. The strategy is simple: grapple onto the creature, unload torpedoes at point-blank range, and use your shield to absorb counterattacks. Bring plenty of torpedoes -- even a single leviathan can take 8-12 hits to defeat.

Vehicle Modification Station Unlock Guide

The Vehicle Modification Station is your gateway to vehicle upgrades. Without it, you are stuck with the basic factory configuration of every vehicle. Unlocking it should be one of your top priorities once you have built the Seatruck and started exploring beyond the safe shallows.

The blueprint for the Vehicle Modification Station is found in one of the early-game wrecks in the Grassy Plateaus biome. Look for a wreck at approximately 120-180 meters depth, southwest of your starting lifepod. You will need a laser cutter to open the sealed door, and there are usually 2-3 bleeders patrolling the exterior, so move carefully.

Steps to Unlock Vehicle Upgrades

1. Build a Scanner Room -- Scan for wrecks in the Grassy Plateaus to locate the right one.
2. Craft a Laser Cutter -- Requires 2x Diamond, 1x Titanium, 1x Battery. Diamonds are found in caves below 100m.
3. Dive to the Wreck -- Bring a Sea Glide, extra oxygen, and a first aid kit.
4. Find the Data Box -- It is usually in the engineering section, often on a desk or table.
5. Scan the Data Box -- This unlocks the Vehicle Modification Station blueprint.
6. Build and Place -- Craft it at your fabricator and place it in your base or moonpool.

Once built, the Vehicle Modification Station lets you install and remove upgrade modules from any docked vehicle. Modules can be swapped freely -- there is no cost to remove or reinstall them, so you can change your loadout before every expedition. This is important because different activities benefit from different module combinations, and there is no reason to stick with one setup permanently.

The station itself requires a habitat builder and a room to place it in. It draws minimal power (about 1 power per minute) and takes up a relatively small footprint. Build one near your moonpool or vehicle bay for maximum convenience.

Rare and Hidden Upgrade Modules

Beyond the standard depth and utility modules, Subnautica 2 hides several rare and powerful upgrades in secret locations. These modules are not required to beat the game, but they offer significant advantages for dedicated players who want to maximize their vehicle capabilities.

The Seatruck Time Capsule Module is one of the most sought-after hidden upgrades. It creates a temporary time dilation field that slows everything around you for 10 seconds, giving you time to escape dangerous situations or line up difficult shots. The blueprint is hidden in a submerged Precursor cache in the Crystal Caves, behind a force field that requires a purple tablet to open.

Hidden / Rare Modules List

Finding these modules usually requires solving environmental puzzles or defeating tough enemies. The Nano-Repair module for the Prawn Suit, for example, is locked in a research lab in the Lava Zone that is swarming with lava lizards and protected by a Lava Leviathan. You will need a fully upgraded combat Prawn Suit to fight your way in and retrieve it.

One pro tip: use your scanner room to search for "data boxes" in deep biomes. While the scanner cannot tell you what is inside each box, it will show you locations you might otherwise miss. Explore every data box you find -- you never know when a rare upgrade blueprint might be waiting inside.