Even if you didn’t know before starting Subnautica 2, it quickly becomes clear that most of your game time will be spent underwater. Since you’re controlling a human character, your oxygen supply is limited until you find ways to extend it.
At first, your oxygen will seem pretty small because the standard air tank only gives you about 75 seconds before you start to run out of air. To keep from losing your breath, you’ll want to find a way to improve your oxygen capacity. This means exploring away from your Lifepod to discover the recipe for a High Capacity Air Tank, which is fairly easy to find if you’re paying attention.
Subnautica 2 is still in Early Access, so some details might change in the final version.
Where to Find the High Capacity Air Tank Recipe
Since the game encourages a lot of exploration, its developers have placed the recipe for the high-capacity tank in three different spots. Here’s what you need to know about each location:
| Location | Picture | How to Get There | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1,300 meters east at 120 meters deep | Near a research facility, where you also find a main story black box. The recipe is sitting on a table outside with a light beside it. | |
| 2 |  |
2,170 meters east at 326 meters deep | Inside an Alterra wreck. Enter through the identified entrance, then go up through the vent and take the right path to find the recipe. |
| 3 |  |
Same wreck, left room after entry | Follow the sound in the room on the left from the same wreck entrance to find this recipe. |
You only need to interact with one of these recipe cards to unlock the High Capacity Air Tank.
How to Make the High Capacity Air Tank
Once you’ve found the recipe, you can craft the tank at your base. To do this, you’ll need a Fabricator, which you can build after placing a Processor in your base. The ingredients are:
- One Standard Air Tank (which you already have)
- One Plasteel Ingot
To craft the ingot, place Titanium and Lithium in the Processor. Lithium can be a bit tricky to find, but it’s worth the effort. After crafting the ingot, make the tank, which will automatically equip on your character and extend your underwater breathing time to about 120 seconds.