Vehicles Database
6 vehicles in Subnautica 2: the Tadpole submersible with 3 chassis variants, the Trident submarine, and the Lifepod survival shelter.
Showing 6 of 6 vehicles across 3 families.
Tadpole submersible
Single-seat modular submersible. The base hull plus three swappable chassis variants that retool acceleration, walk speed and granted abilities at the Vehicle Bay.
Tadpole
SubmersibleSingle-seat submersible. Modular hull, chassis swappable for combat / cargo / scout role.
HaulPost-launchTadpole · Haul Chassis
Tadpole ChassisCargo-focused Tadpole chassis. Extra storage capacity, scales from solo runs to small co-op cargo hauls.
ScoutRayPost-launchTadpole · ScoutRay Chassis
Tadpole ChassisHigh-speed scout chassis. Highest swim acceleration of any Tadpole variant.
SeafrogPost-launchTadpole · Seafrog Chassis
Tadpole ChassisWalker variant of the Tadpole. Exosuit-style movement lets you traverse the seabed on foot.
Submarines
Multi-crew submarines built for long expeditions. Successors to the Cyclops from Subnautica 1.
Survival shelters
Starting habitats. Can't move under their own power; serve as your first base and respawn point.
Handheld mobility tools
Not every fast-travel option needs a Tadpole. These are the wearable and arm-mounted tools that boost your swim speed before you ever build a sub.
Mobility tool
Wakemaker
Arm-mounted jets that propel you through the water. The handheld booster — equip it and burst forward without needing a vehicle.
Mobility tool
Basic Fins
Simple diving fins. A small swim-speed boost over going barefoot. Earliest fin tier you can craft.
Mobility tool
Improved Fins
High-end fins with lightweight fibre construction. Faster than Basic Fins, with better turn response.
The Tadpole modular chassis system
The Tadpole is a single-seat submersible built around a swappable chassis frame. The base chassis is your starter craft. From the Vehicle Bay you can build alternate chassis that wholesale change movement parameters, granted abilities and carry profile. Roughly equivalent to the Seamoth / PRAWN / Cyclops fork in Subnautica 1, but everything slots into one hull.
Base chassis
Tadpole
Balanced starter. 1000 cm/s² swim accel, 4 upgrade slots, 20 s crush-depth warning window.
View base →Haul chassis
Haul
Cargo-focused Tadpole chassis. Extra storage capacity, scales from solo runs to small co-op cargo hauls.
ScoutRay chassis
ScoutRay
High-speed scout chassis. Highest swim acceleration of any Tadpole variant.
Seafrog chassis
Seafrog
Walker variant of the Tadpole. Exosuit-style movement lets you traverse the seabed on foot.
About Subnautica 2 Vehicles
Subnautica 2 ships 6 vehicles across three movement tiers. The Lifepod (ROSETTE V) is your starting survival shelter and arrives pre-built when the CICADA evac sequence plays. The Tadpole submersible is the first craftable vehicle, with three swappable chassis variants that rewrite its movement profile. The Trident multi-crew submarine succeeds the Cyclops from Subnautica 1 and ships in a later Early Access update.
Every Tadpole chassis is crafted at the Vehicle Bay and upgraded at the Modification Station. Hull upgrades unlock crush-depth bands, storage capacity, and combat / utility modules. The base Tadpole exposes four upgrade slots; chassis variants change the slot loadout and granted abilities (Seafrog gets six abilities for walker mobility, ScoutRay gets one but doubles your swim speed).
Crafting the Tadpole
The dev vlog where Unknown Worlds walked the Tadpole chassis system end to end, from concept sketches to the swap UI.
Dec 9, 2025 · 4:45
Subnautica 2 vehicle questions
- 01What vehicles are in Subnautica 2 at launch?
- The May 14, 2026 Early Access build ships the Tadpole, a single-seat modular submersible, plus three Tadpole chassis variants: Haul (cargo), Seafrog (walker / exosuit), and ScoutRay (high-speed scout). The Lifepod (ROSETTE V) is your starting survival shelter. The Trident, a Cyclops-tier submarine, is teased for a later Early Access update.
- 02How does the Tadpole chassis system work?
- The Tadpole is built around a swappable chassis frame. You craft the base Tadpole at the Vehicle Bay, then unlock and slot in a chassis variant: Haul (slow but high carry capacity), Seafrog (exosuit-style walker that traverses the seabed on foot), or ScoutRay (fastest swim acceleration of any chassis). Each variant rewrites movement parameters wholesale: acceleration, turning radius, walk speed, granted abilities.
- 03How are the Tadpole chassis variants different?
- Haul has the slowest swim acceleration (250 cm/s²) but lots of cargo space. ScoutRay is the fastest at 1600 cm/s² with 55°/s angular acceleration. Seafrog is the only Exosuit-type, walking on the seabed at 512 cm/s² and swimming at 800 cm/s² with 6 granted abilities. The base Tadpole sits in the middle at 1000 cm/s² with 4 upgrade slots.
- 04Will there be a Cyclops-tier submarine?
- Yes. The Trident, confirmed by Unknown Worlds in the First Dive Showcase on May 9, 2026, is a multi-crew submarine balanced for solo play. It does not ship at Early Access launch; it arrives in a later Early Access update. The recipe currently lives in the deprecated folder, so it isn't wired into the live Vehicle Bay menu yet.
- 05What powers the Tadpole?
- Standard Power Cells. The Tadpole carries one Power Cell slot. Crush-depth warnings fire 20 seconds before structural damage starts, giving you time to surface or retreat to a safer depth band.
- 06How do I unlock chassis variants?
- Chassis variants are crafted at the Vehicle Bay once you have the base Tadpole and the blueprint scan. Haul and ScoutRay ship with recipes in the EA build. Seafrog is currently a post-launch addition without a live recipe; Unknown Worlds will wire it into a later Early Access update.