Biomods are one of the more quietly powerful systems in Subnautica 2, and most players walk right past the full potential of the Biolab during the early hours. You start with two Active and two Passive Biomods available, which feels thin, but that roster grows significantly once you get your hands on the right tool. The catch is that the tool in question, the Bioscanner, is not handed to you. You have to go looking for it.
What is the Bioscanner and why do you need it?
The Bioscanner is an upgraded version of the standard Scanner, and it is the only way to unlock new Biomods beyond the four you start with. Once you have it, scanning different species of Fauna and Flora across the ocean fills out your Biomod roster. Without it, the Biolab stays mostly empty.
The Bioscanner also opens up alien technology scanning, which makes it a major progression gate in the second large section of the game. Getting it early is worth the effort.
Bioscanner crafting recipe
Where to find the Bioscanner in Subnautica 2
There is only one degraded Bioscanner in the game. It sits inside the wreckage at the Blackbox Iso Signal, which the game shares with you as you progress. If you want to reach it before the signal unlocks, the location is roughly 1,800 meters East of the Lifepod, or about 600 meters South-East of the Alien Ruins Signal. The water there is darker and greener, with alien structures nearby.
Getting inside the wreck requires the Repair Tool. From the entrance, swim through vents and gaps in the walls, then descend through a broken chamber until you reach the bottom. The degraded Bioscanner is waiting there. Scan it with your standard Scanner and head back.
Do not waste time scanning species with your standard Scanner before you have the Bioscanner. Any scans you complete with the original tool do not count toward Biomod unlock requirements. You will need to scan those creatures again.
How to craft the Bioscanner
With the degraded version scanned, the recipe unlocks at a Modification Station. The required materials are:
- 1x Scanner
- 2x Enamelled Glass
- 3x Conduit Crystal
This is a noticeably demanding recipe compared to early-game tools, which reflects where it sits in progression. You will not see a Modification Station until the second major area of the game, so the Bioscanner is firmly a mid-game unlock.
The Modification Station itself needs to be found and built before you can craft the Bioscanner. Do not assume it is available from the start.
Subnautica 2 Guide: All Biomods and How to Unlock Them (Image from Insider Gaming)
For broader tips on surviving the early hours before you reach this point, the Subnautica 2 beginner's guide covers oxygen management, base building, and navigation essentials.
How do you unlock new Biomods in Subnautica 2?
Once you have the Bioscanner crafted, unlocking new Biomods is straightforward: scan the specific Fauna or Flora listed as requirements in the Biolab. Each locked Biomod displays its scan requirements before you unlock it, so you can plan which creatures to track down.
The requirements range from common early-game creatures like the Water Slug all the way up to the Collector Leviathan, one of the largest threats in the game. For more on the confirmed Leviathans you will encounter, check out the Subnautica 2 confirmed Leviathans guide.
Biolab Biomod unlock screen
All Active Biomods in Subnautica 2
There are 5 Active Biomods currently available. Active Biomods are abilities you trigger manually.
The Sonic Echo is one of the most useful Active Biomods for resource hunting, but unlocking it requires scanning a Collector Leviathan. That is a late-game scan, so expect to wait before adding it to your loadout.
All Passive Biomods in Subnautica 2
There are 10 Passive Biomods currently available. These run continuously without any activation required.
Which Biomods are worth prioritising?
For survival in the early and mid-game, Oxygen Control and Water Secretion are the two Passive Biomods that pay off fastest. Oxygen Control costs nothing to unlock and directly extends your dive time whenever you hold still, which is more often than you might expect during exploration. Water Secretion requires only a Water Slug scan and passively generates drinking water, which removes one of the more tedious resource loops.
On the Active side, Dash is available from the start and remains useful throughout the game for avoiding predator lunges. Electric Discharge is the standout defensive option once you can scan an Electric Geordie, delivering an 800-volt shock to deter medium and large threats.
Camouflage is the Passive Biomod with the highest ceiling for cautious players. Staying still to avoid predators is already a viable tactic in survival games, and having invisibility while stationary turns that instinct into a genuine strategy.
How many Biomods can you equip at once?
Based on available information from the source, the Biolab allows you to equip different Biomods to your character across both Active and Passive slots. The exact number of simultaneous equip slots is not specified in the source material, so check the Biolab interface directly to see how many you can run at once.
The full picture of what is coming to the game, including new biomes and creatures that may introduce additional Biomod scan targets, is covered in the Subnautica 2 Early Access roadmap. More scan requirements and Biomods may be added as Early Access content expands.