Biomes
Proteus is a vertical world. Each biome sits deeper than the last, trading richer resources for worse threats and less light. Listed shallowest to deepest.
Starting Shallows
The safe, sunlit entry biome where every run begins — abundant basic resources and almost no predators.
Resources: Titanium · Quartz · Copper Ore · Edible fauna
Stone Pillar Shallows
A safe early-game zone of towering vertical stone columns, ~200 m from the Lifepod.
Resources: Titanium · Salt · Silver · Sulfur
Camp One Shallows
A rocky zone built around "Camp One", an abandoned pre-existing colonist outpost.
Resources: Silver · Lead
Coral Reef
A vivid mid-shallow biome — the first real ecosystem, rich in resources and patrolled by mid-tier predators.
Resources: Copper Ore · Silver Ore · Coral samples · Crafting flora
Old Habitat (Jelly Barrens)
A deserted colonist habitat in jagged terrain draped with dead jellyfish — primarily a lore biome.
Resources: Copper · Silver
Necrolei Forest
A dense bioluminescent plant forest — the primary bulk-farming zone, with Anemone Hills and the Leadzone alongside.
Resources: Necrolei Cysts (abundant) · Lead (Sandstone Ridges / Leadzone) · Infected Angel Comb (Anemone Hills)
Crag Canyons
A maze of deep, narrow rock canyons — high-value ores guarded by ambush Leviathans.
Resources: Gold · Lithium · Rare ore deposits
Infested Caves
Parasite-infested cave systems sealed behind infected roots — a high-danger progression gate.
Resources: Progression-gated (cleared via Sonic Resonator)
Thermal Vents
Superheated volcanic seabed — a hostile environment that doubles as the best geothermal power site on the map.
Resources: Sulphur · Magnetite · Geothermal energy (for bases)
Cicada Wreck
The broken hull of the colony ship Cicada — a story-critical wreck field full of salvage and data logs.
Resources: Advanced components · Salvage / fragments · Story data logs
Sulfur Pyres (Graveyard)
A fiery red high-heat zone of burning sulfur columns — lethal without Heat Tolerance.
Resources: Gold · Sulfur
Red Grass Mesa
A dense, narrow, current-swept Karakorum biome of flowing red grass — a strong second-base site.
Resources: Salt · Improved Fins Diagrams
Sparse Plains
Wide, open, low-cover seabed connecting the inner biomes — fast to cross, deadly to linger in.
Resources: Scattered ore nodes · Transit routes between biomes
Axum Spire
A major alien landmark region in eastern Karakorum, anchored by the surface-breaching Axum Observatory.
Resources: Alien structure scans · Route landmarks
Ancient Turbine (Karakorum Power Plant)
A massive submerged Axum water turbine — the central story-progression machine of the Karakorum region.
Resources: Story scans · Power-machine route unlock
Abyssal Trench
A near-lightless deep trench leading toward the planet's core — end-game depth, end-game predators.
Resources: Rare end-game minerals · Deep crystal deposits
Roots Canyon
A deep, low-visibility Karakorum mining canyon — a mandatory story detour for the Axum Vision adaptation.
Resources: Mining materials · Angel Comb (Axum Vision unlock)
Axum Quarry
A deep quarry-style point of interest in Karakorum, dedicated to mineral farming.
Resources: Lead · Silver
Alien Ruins
Alien buildings and towers in deep murky water — the core mid-game story hub of Subnautica 2.
Resources: Atacamite · Conduit Crystal · Celestine · Tadpole Chassis Blueprints
Metal Farms
Deep glowing yellow pits of unknown fluid the Axum used to "farm" metal — a late-game story site.
Resources: Metal Farm Blueprints
The Cliff
A sudden, very steep dropoff forming part of the world border — a natural boundary, not a wall.
Resources: Sparse
The Void
The lightless open water beyond the map edge — there is nothing out here but pack-hunting Leviathans.