Last updated: 14 July 2026

Subnautica 2 Blueprint Fragments — Where to Scan Every Key Blueprint

Standing at a Fabricator with a half-built blueprint still waiting for one more fragment scan is one of the most common progression blockers in Subnautica 2. The ocean is full of wreckage and Pioneer Seabases, but without knowing which site holds which fragment, you can spend an hour swimming circles at the wrong depth. This guide covers how the fragment scanning system works, then breaks down confirmed locations for every major blueprint category — vehicles, essential tools, and base modules — with biome notes and depth ranges so you can stop wandering and start building.

01How Blueprint Fragment Scanning Works

Blueprints in Subnautica 2 unlock in three ways: automatic unlock when you first pick up a specific material (for basic recipes), story triggers (for plot-critical items), and fragment scanning — the system this guide focuses on.

Fragment scanning works like this: fragments are broken, degraded pieces of equipment scattered throughout the world at wrecks, Pioneer Seabases (pre-existing colonist habitats), underwater caves, and biome POIs. Approach a fragment and hold the scan input with your Scanner tool to analyse it. Once you have scanned the required number of fragments for a given blueprint, the recipe permanently unlocks in your Fabricator or Vehicle Fabricator.

• Most blueprints require 2–3 fragments. Vehicle blueprints typically sit at 3. A few chassis and tool blueprints only need a single scan.
• Extra scans give bonus resources. Scanning a fragment after the blueprint is already unlocked gives you free crafting materials instead of nothing. Never pass up a visible fragment just because you think you have the blueprint.
• Fragments do not respawn. Each spawn location is a one-time scan per save. Clearing a wreck or Seabase completely before leaving is more efficient than revisiting the same site later.
• You need the Scanner tool to scan fragments — this is the handheld tool, not the Scanner Room base module. Craft it from your escape pod Fabricator as one of your very first items.

Early Access note: Subnautica 2 is a live game. Fragment spawn locations have shifted between updates as biomes are reworked. If a fragment is not where you expect it, check the official Subnautica wiki (wiki.subnautica.com) or patch notes before assuming the information is wrong — spawn positions can move between content drops.

02Vehicle Blueprints — Tadpole, Scout Ray Chassis, Haul Chassis

Vehicle blueprints unlock items built exclusively at the Vehicle Fabricator inside your Moonpool. See the Vehicles Guide (linked below) for the full Moonpool setup and crafting walkthrough — this section focuses on where to find the fragments.

Tadpole (3 fragments required)

The Tadpole has the most spread-out fragment pool of any blueprint — over 12 spawn locations are documented across the map, at depths ranging from 35 m to 150 m. You only need to scan 3 of those 12+ to unlock the blueprint. The most accessible early clusters are:

• Colonist Bunker, southwest of the lifepod (~88 m depth). One fragment on the west side of the bunker, accessed through a cliff-face hatch. The bunker is also a story objective, so you will likely pass through it anyway — this is the single best first Tadpole fragment stop.
• Lander Garage wreck zone, east of the lifepod (~65 m depth). Fragments in and around the wreck interior, often alongside scannable Bioreactor parts. Clearing this wreck completely frequently yields a second or third Tadpole fragment.
• Tadpole Pens facility, east of the lifepod (~150 m depth). Two fragment spawns at and around this facility. Deeper than the first two options — save it for after you have an O₂ upgrade and an early dive vehicle.
• Plateaus northeast of the Old Habitat (~35 m depth). The shallowest documented Tadpole fragment cluster. A good target if you prefer staying in the upper depth band.
• Beneath the Great Jaw formation (~125 m depth). A prominent landmark in the mid-depth zone that makes this fragment easy to find once you are regularly exploring at that range.

Recommended route: head to the Colonist Bunker first (story overlap), then sweep the Lander Garage wreck — you will almost certainly find all 3 fragments between those two sites.

Scout Ray Chassis (1 fragment required)

Only a single scan is needed to unlock the Scout Ray Chassis, but its location is gated behind a gameplay prerequisite. The fragment is inside the Tadpole Pens facility in the hot biome east of the lifepod, and the hot biome kills you without the Heat Tolerance adaptation:

• Unlock Heat Tolerance by destroying Bloom Cankers on the Angel Comb landmark, then interacting with the cleansed Gene Donor. See the DNA Modification Guide for how the adaptation system works.
• Once inside the hot biome, enter the Tadpole Pens and scan the chassis fragment at the far end of the facility — one scan unlocks the blueprint permanently.
• The Scout Ray Chassis raises top speed from 8 m/s to 10 m/s with improved acceleration, making it the go-to configuration for solo exploration in high-threat biomes.

Haul Chassis (3 fragments required)

All three Haul Chassis fragments are located in the Alien Ruins area, approximately 1,300 metres east of the lifepod — a mid-to-late game expedition. The fragments are clustered in and around stone cave entrances and pillar formations in that area, making them relatively quick to collect once you arrive:

• The Haul Chassis reconfigures the Tadpole for cargo capacity, expanding seating to four players — it is the co-op freight build.
• Craft it at the Vehicle Fabricator once unlocked: 4× Titanium Ingot, 3× Strontium, 3× Enameled Glass, 1× Dedicated Core.

03Essential Tool Blueprints — Habitat Builder, Flashlight, Repair Tool, Sonic Resonator

These four tool blueprints unlock some of the most critical early-to-mid-game gear. Their fragments are concentrated relatively close to the starting area — most within 400 metres of the lifepod — and at moderate depths that are reachable before you have a vehicle.

Habitat Builder (2 fragments — highest priority)

Without the Habitat Builder you cannot construct a base, which means no stable oxygen anchor, no storage, and no base-mounted crafting stations. Scan these fragments before anything else that requires exploring new biomes.

• Both fragments are near the Welcome Center, approximately 80–90 metres southeast of the lifepod at a very shallow depth of around 7 m — no significant dive required.
• One fragment is outside the centre near a metal crate. The other is inside a cave in the same immediate area.
• While you are at the Welcome Center, activate the Bio Lab station inside using a Basic Battery — it unlocks additional data and is worth doing on the same visit.

Flashlight (2 fragments)

Essential for navigating unlit caves, deep wrecks, and night dives. Fragment locations near the lifepod:

• A crashed lab near the lifepod, accessible very early — one of the first scannable debris sites you encounter.
• A cave approximately 110 metres from the lifepod, at shallow depth — around 10–15 m. Inside the cave, look for lab equipment — the Flashlight fragment is among the debris.
• Flashlight fragments also appear in general wreck debris fields throughout the starting area; a thorough early sweep of any wreck will almost always yield both scans before you actively go looking.

Repair Tool (3 fragments)

The Repair Tool is required for fixing damaged equipment and accessing certain locked POIs — including sections of deep wrecks that are sealed until you can repair the doors. Fragments appear across several POIs within roughly 350 metres of the lifepod:

• Inside Chap's Blackbox bunker, approximately 220 m southeast of the lifepod — look for the fragment on a table near the entrance.
• In large ruined structures roughly 250 m southeast of that bunker.
• A third spawn in ruins accessible via an underground entrance approximately 350 m northeast of the lifepod.
• The official wiki classifies Repair Tool fragments as appearing in 'wrecks and Pioneer Seabases' — any significant ruin POI in the 200–400 m band around your starting area is worth checking if you cannot find a specific spawn.

Sonic Resonator (2 fragments)

The Sonic Resonator breaks through certain geological formations to open blocked biome passages — it is a mid-game progression unlock. Both fastest-to-reach fragments are at the Old Habitat, approximately 370–420 m north-northwest of the lifepod:

• Enter the lower level of the Old Habitat structure. One fragment is immediately to your right in the first room.
• A second fragment is in the next room, near a toppled table on the floor.
• Additional spawn locations exist at the Spider Dome POI (~240 m from the lifepod) if you prefer a shorter trip.
• Recipe once unlocked: 2× Titanium Ingot, 2× Lead, 1× Wiring Kit, 1× Basic Battery.

04Base Module and Power Blueprints

Several base modules and power systems are not available from the start — they require scanning fragments before they appear as buildable options in your Habitat Builder.

Moonpool

The Moonpool must be built before you can construct any vehicle — it houses the Vehicle Fabricator and provides the docking bay. Community guides place its fragment in a wreck room at approximately 88 m depth, reachable by following passages from wreck areas you will already be sweeping for Repair Tool and Rebreather fragments. Running a compound sweep of the 80–100 m wreck zone in a single dive — collecting Moonpool, Rebreather, and Repair Tool fragments together — is the most efficient approach.

Rebreather

The Rebreather reduces your oxygen consumption rate, extending effective dive time. The official wiki lists its fragments in general wreck debris fields. Because it shares the same depth band as Moonpool and Repair Tool fragments, a dedicated 80–100 m wreck sweep will almost always yield all three blueprint unlocks on the same dive.

Bioreactor (3 fragments)

The Bioreactor converts organic matter into power and is a strong mid-game energy solution for bases far from surface solar access. Its three fragments are distributed across the map, making it worthwhile to collect them opportunistically rather than in a dedicated run:

• One near the Chap's Blackbox cave area — the same zone as the Repair Tool sweep, so grab it at the same time.
• One approximately 390 m east of the lifepod, near the edge of the high-temperature volcanic biome.
• One in the Old Habitat, western wing — combine with a Sonic Resonator scan run to that area.

Bioscanner and Late-Game Blueprints

The Bioscanner is a deeper-water blueprint that requires the Repair Tool as a prerequisite to access its fragment location. It is found at a large wreck site well east of your starting area, with creature patrols along the route — bring a Tadpole and ensure your Repair Tool is crafted before making the trip. Its exact location varies slightly between updates; the official Subnautica wiki is the most reliable current source for exact directions.

05Tips for Efficient Fragment Hunting

Fragment hunting is dramatically faster when treated as systematic biome sweeps rather than one-at-a-time targeted searches. These habits cut the time spent searching in half:

• Scan compulsively. Treat every piece of wreckage as a potential unknown recipe. Scanning habitually in the first two hours will unlock blueprints before you know you need them, saving you a return trip.
• Plan compound sweeps. Many fragments are co-located at the same POI. The Colonist Bunker gives Tadpole fragments and story content; the Old Habitat gives Sonic Resonator and Bioreactor fragments; the 80–100 m wreck zone covers Moonpool, Rebreather, and Repair Tool. Run multi-objective dives to each area rather than separate trips per blueprint.
• Scan extras for free materials. Once a blueprint is unlocked, every additional scan of that fragment type gives crafting materials. An extra Tadpole fragment after you have the blueprint yields free resources — never skip a visible fragment just because you already have it.
• Use the Scanner Room to find wrecks. The Scanner Room's sonar can surface wreck structures within its radius that you haven't visited yet. When you're hunting a last fragment and you've exhausted the sites you know, build a Scanner Room near the biome and let it do the discovery work.
• Work the 35–150 m depth band first. The majority of early and mid-game fragments cluster in this depth range. Once you have the Tadpole and a Depth Module Mk.1, push into the 150–450 m band for late-game blueprint fragments in the Needler Nest and Graveyard biomes.
• Keep the EA caveat in mind. Subnautica 2 is in active Early Access development. If a fragment is not where this guide or any community guide places it, the official Subnautica wiki (wiki.subnautica.com) is maintained by the community and updated after each patch.