Subnautica’s vehicle progression is one of the game’s most satisfying mechanical journeys. You begin swimming alone in a vast ocean, then build a personal submarine, then a massive mobile base, then a powered exosuit that lets you walk on the ocean floor. Each vehicle unlocks new areas of the game and new gameplay possibilities. Understanding the Seamoth, Cyclops, and Prawn Suit progression — what each vehicle does, when to build it, and how to upgrade it — is fundamental to completing Subnautica.
The Seamoth: Your First Submarine
The Seamoth is a small, one-person submarine that dramatically expands your exploration range. It is fast, manoeuvrable, has a small storage compartment, and provides a pressurised environment (oxygen as long as the vehicle is powered). Building it requires a Vehicle Bay in your base and the Seamoth blueprint — obtained from fragments in the Kelp Forest and Grassy Plateau wrecks.
The Seamoth’s key limitation is depth. Without upgrades, it can only dive to 200 metres. Depth upgrade modules (Seamoth Depth Module Mk1, 2, 3) extend this to 900 metres at the highest tier. These modules are crafted at the Vehicle Upgrade Console in your Moonpool. The Seamoth is your primary exploration vehicle for the entire early and mid-game.
Seamoth Upgrades Priority Order
- Depth Module Mk1 (extends to 300m) — build immediately after the Seamoth
- Sonar — helps detect terrain and creatures in dark biomes
- Perimeter Defence System — electric shock deterrent that breaks Reaper Leviathan grabs
- Depth Module Mk2 (extends to 500m) — needed for the Lost River approach
- Depth Module Mk3 (extends to 900m) — maximum depth for Seamoth, enables reaching all Seamoth-accessible areas
- Storage Module — additional inventory space for extended mining and exploration runs
The Cyclops: Your Mobile Base
The Cyclops is the largest vehicle in Subnautica — a full-size submarine with an interior you can walk around in, sleep in, fabricate in, and launch your Seamoth from. It requires three blueprint fragments (from wreck sites in the Mushroom Forest, Sea Treader Path, and Underwater Islands areas), and the materials to build it are substantial: a Cyclops needs significant quantities of Plasteel, Lead, and Enameled Glass.
The Cyclops is your vehicle for the deep-game — it can dock a Seamoth or Prawn Suit internally, allowing you to launch either vehicle on deep dive missions and retrieve them when done. It has its own fire suppression system (necessary, because it can catch fire), a Silent Running mode to reduce creature attraction, and a shield module for emergencies. The Cyclops is where you will spend much of the late game.
The Prawn Suit: Walking the Ocean Floor
The Prawn Suit (Pressure Reactive Armored Waterproof Nano Suit) is a powered exosuit that allows you to walk on the ocean floor, drill mineral deposits, and grapple through terrain. It is your primary vehicle for the endgame — the Lost River and Inactive Lava Zone are best navigated in a Prawn Suit docked to the Cyclops. Its key advantages: it cannot be grabbed by Leviathans (unlike the Seamoth), it can drill into large mineral deposits for resources unavailable otherwise, and its Grappling Arm allows rapid traversal of vertical terrain.
Vehicle Combination Strategy
The ideal late-game exploration approach uses all three vehicles in combination: take the Cyclops to the target area, launch the Prawn Suit for close exploration and mineral drilling, and launch the Seamoth for fast transit in medium-depth sections. Understanding when to use which vehicle makes the difference between efficient deep exploration and frustrating, dangerous mishaps.
Vehicle Videos on RicardoPlays
The RicardoPlays channel documents each major vehicle milestone in Ricardo’s Subnautica series — the first Seamoth launch, the Cyclops build reveal, and the first Prawn Suit walk. These are some of the most satisfying moments in the series and serve as practical demonstrations of each vehicle’s capabilities and limitations. Watch the channel for the full vehicle progression experience.