Subnautica 2 Guide: How to Get Atacamite

Atacamite is one of those materials in Subnautica 2 that you won't need immediately, but when the time comes, you'll want a stockpile ready. The green crystalline mineral sits at depth, requires a specific tool to mine in bulk, and feeds directly into Mangalloy Ingots, which you'll need for Metal Farms and repairing the Alien Power Plant. Here's exactly where to find it and how to farm it efficiently.

What is atacamite and why do you need it?

Atacamite is a "tabular green crystal" with "anomalous thermo-magnetic behavior" that enables localized cooling. In practical terms, it's a mid-to-late-game crafting material with two specific uses.

The first is crafting the Ultra High Capacity Air Tank at the Fabricator, which requires 1 High Capacity Air Tank, 3 Troilite, and 3 atacamite. The second, and more pressing, is the Mangalloy Ingot, processed from 1 Titanium Ingot, 1 atacamite, and 1 Troilite. Mangalloy Ingots are the key ingredient for Metal Farms, and you'll need 10 of them to repair the Alien Power Plant.

What do you need before farming atacamite?

Attacamite only spawns at 300 meters depth or below, which means you need to prepare before heading out. The Alien Ruins area where it's found becomes accessible after you've investigated the Tadpole Pens, so this is firmly mid-game content.

Here's what to bring:

• Sonic Resonator (required to mine large mineral deposits)
• Tadpole with Depth Module Mk. 1 (strongly recommended; park the Tadpole at 250m and swim the rest if needed)
• Advanced air tank or Rebreather (if you're swimming down without the Tadpole at depth)
• Landmark signals enabled in your character menu

You can technically park your Tadpole at 250 meters and swim down to collect atacamite, but having the depth module installed makes the whole run significantly smoother. Check out our guide on how to make Titanium Ingots if you need to prep your Processor before you start processing your haul.

Subnautica 2 Guide: How to Get Atacamite

Where to find atacamite in Subnautica 2

Attacamite appears in three biomes: the Observatory, the Power Plant, and Root Canyon. All of these are deeper-water zones tied to the Alien Ruins region of the map.

The deposits look like dark green columns jutting out of rock, similar in shape to quartz and titanium nodes but noticeably darker in color. Small individual nodes can be picked up directly, while the larger mineral deposits require the Sonic Resonator to break apart.

Best farming location

The most efficient spot is roughly 200-220 meters east (or east-north-east at about 75 degrees on the compass) of the Alien Ruins Research Base, at a depth of around 300 meters. The specific landmarks to look for:

• Drop off the cliff from the Research Base heading east and descend until you spot alien dwellings on the seabed
• The sandy area to the left of those structures is scattered with atacamite crystals alongside quartz nodes
• There's a large alien wreck on the seabed in this area; the sandy ground around it is your primary farming zone

For a second batch, continue east toward the Angel Comb. In the large crater below the main alien structure (the drop-shaped structure at the center), swim around the large purple root to find additional atacamite deposits.

Subnautica 2 Guide: How to Get Atacamite

Atacamite crafting recipes

Once you've collected your atacamite, here's what you can make with it:

The Mangalloy Ingot is the one you'll be crafting most. It feeds into Metal Farms and the Alien Power Plant repair, so prioritize that over the air tank upgrade unless you're struggling with oxygen at depth.

How to farm atacamite efficiently

After testing the route around the Alien Ruins Research Base, the most time-efficient approach is:

1. Bring the Tadpole with Depth Module Mk. 1 installed and park it at around 250 meters
2. Swim down to 300 meters and head east toward the alien dwellings
3. Clear the sandy area around the alien wreck first (dense node concentration)
4. Continue east to Angel Comb for the second cluster around the purple root
5. Return to the Tadpole, surface, and repeat as needed

The nodes in this zone are plentiful enough that a single run should yield enough atacamite for several Mangalloy Ingots. Large mineral deposits give more material per node but require the Sonic Resonator, so always have it equipped before you dive.

If you're still building out your resource base, the Subnautica 2 guides collection has full coverage of other key materials you'll need alongside atacamite, including quartz for glass-based crafting.