Scanner
Required for the Habitat Builder fragments, furniture, lights, poster, Biolab, and power terminal interactions.
Opening route
Welcome Center Walkthrough
The Welcome Center is the next clean objective after the Angel Comb route. Swim southeast from the Lifepod at about 150 degrees, scan both Habitat Builder fragments, collect the Dining Table, Biolab, wall lights, and New Life Poster, restore power, choose your first biomods, then clear the southwest wreck for Dive Elevator, Beacon, and Tadpole progress.
Quick answer. Bring a Scanner and one spare Basic Battery. Clear the Welcome Center, pick Dash and Sea Skimmer, swim southwest at 210 to 240 degrees to the 25m wreck, scan Dive Elevator, Beacon, and one Tadpole fragment, then return home to craft Habitat Builder.
Updated 2026-06-09. Tested in Early Access build 115506.
Route Summary
Think of this as the first real base-building trip. You are not just visiting a landmark; you are collecting the tool, parts, decorations, power access, and biomod choices that make the next hour smoother.
Route
From the Lifepod, swim southeast at about 150 degrees and look for the lit facility.
Bring
Scanner plus one spare Basic Battery so the power puzzle does not force a return trip.
Primary unlock
Scan two Habitat Builder fragments to unlock the Habitat Builder, Hatch, and Corridor.
Other scans
Dining Table, Biolab, Large Wall Light, Small Wall Light, and New Life Poster.
Power step
Use the battery terminal after finding the NOA terminal, then stand near NOA without spending oxygen.
Biolab pick
Dash is the best active starter pick; Sea Skimmer is the strongest passive pick from this visit.
Follow-up wreck
Leave the Welcome Center, swim southwest between 210 and 240 degrees, and clear the 25m wreck.
Vehicle chain
Scan Dive Elevator, Beacon, and one Tadpole fragment; Tadpole progress reveals Power Cell and Strong Acid.
Basic Battery
Bring one spare battery before leaving the Lifepod. It is also part of the Habitat Builder craft chain later.
Oxygen discipline
The route is short, but the interior detour and cave scan are easier if you surface before entering.
Control Notes Before the Deep Detour
The southwest wreck and nearby seep are still early-game routes, but they start punishing sloppy inputs. Keep these controls straight before you drop toward deeper water.
Dash forward
After choosing Dash, press W plus Left Shift for a forward burst. Tapping Left Shift without a direction can kick you backward instead.
Air Bladder refill
With Air Bladder selected, press F to refill oxygen. This is separate from the fast-ascent action.
Air Bladder ascent
Right-click with Air Bladder selected to fast ascend toward the surface when a deep detour goes wrong.
Step 1
Swim southeast at 150 degrees
Leave the Lifepod and line your compass up around 150 degrees southeast. The Welcome Center is close enough for an early trip; keep the lit building ahead and surface before you commit to the interior route.
Step 2
Enter through the lit approach
The entrance is visible from the lighted structure. If you arrive low on air, reset oxygen first, then move toward the right side of the entry where the first important scan is waiting.
Step 3
Scan the first Habitat Builder fragment
The first Habitat Builder fragment sits near the entrance on the right side. Scan it before heading deeper so your progress is already at 1 of 2.
Step 4
Scan Dining Table and Biolab
Inside, scan the Dining Table and the Biolab area. The table is a decoration unlock; the Biolab becomes important after you restore power and choose biomods.
Step 5
Scan the large and small wall lights
Look along the wall for the light fixtures. Scanning this area unlocks Large Wall Light and Small Wall Light, giving your first base better interior lighting options.
Step 6
Turn left for metal salvage and the cave
After the interior scans, turn left and pick up the metal salvage. The cave entrance nearby is not a side distraction: it is the path to oxygen and the second Habitat Builder fragment.
Step 7
Use the cave oxygen and scan the second builder
Enter the cave, refill oxygen, and scan the second Habitat Builder fragment. When that scan completes, the Habitat Builder is unlocked, and Hatch plus Corridor become available for your first base plan.
Step 8
Go up and scan the New Life Poster
Return upward through the structure and scan the New Life Poster. It is decorative, but it is an easy unlock while you are already clearing the Welcome Center.
Step 9
Find the unpowered NOA terminal
The NOA terminal does not work until power is restored. Check it, then follow the cable path to the battery terminal instead of leaving the building.
Step 10
Move battery charge at the terminal
Scan or interact with the battery terminal, then move the available wall battery into the powered slot. Use the battery menu to switch between inventory and terminal batteries so you get the most value from the charge you brought.
Step 11
Choose Dash and Sea Skimmer at the Biolab
Once power is restored, return to the Biolab. Choose Dash as your active biomod for emergency movement, and Sea Skimmer as your passive biomod for faster swimming close to the seafloor and underwater surfaces.
Step 12
Enjoy the Welcome Center night view
Before leaving, take a moment outside the powered Welcome Center. This is also a good reset point: check oxygen, battery charge, and inventory space before turning the trip into the southwest wreck follow-up.
Step 13
Swim southwest toward the 25m wreck
From the Welcome Center, face southwest on the compass, roughly between 210 and 240 degrees. Stay around the 25 metre depth band and look for the nearby wreck pieces rather than diving into the deeper seep immediately.
Step 14
Scan the Dive Elevator fragment
At the southwest wreck, scan the Dive Elevator fragment first. It is an early deployable unlock that makes later vertical routes and repeated depth checks easier to plan.
Step 15
Scan the Beacon fragment
Scan the Beacon fragment in the same wreck area. Beacon progress matters because the next hour starts to branch away from the Lifepod, and markers keep return routes readable.
Step 16
Open the supply crate
Check the nearby supply crate before leaving the wreck. This route already gives major blueprint progress, so any extra materials or supplies help turn the return trip into Habitat Builder crafting instead of another empty swim.
Step 17
Peek at the 88m seep only if oxygen is safe
There is a deeper seep nearby that drops toward about 88 metres. Treat this as your first deeper-water look, not a full farm. Use Dash deliberately: W plus Left Shift gives forward burst, while Left Shift without direction can push you backward.
Step 18
Scan one Tadpole fragment
Scan the Tadpole fragment before returning home. One Tadpole scan starts the vehicle route and also reveals Power Cell and Strong Acid, which moves your progression from handheld tools into vehicle-power planning.
Step 19
Return home and craft Habitat Builder
Swim back with any Titanium or starter materials you can safely collect on the way. Once home, craft the Habitat Builder, then you are ready to place the first real base pieces instead of only gathering blueprints.
Welcome Center Blueprint Unlocks
These are the six main scans to clear before you leave. Habitat Builder is the progression prize; the other five make your first base more useful and less empty.
Habitat Builder
Base-building tool. Scan both fragments on this route, then craft it after you return.
Unlocking it also opens Hatch and Corridor for the first simple base shell.
Dining Table
Decorative base furniture for your first habitat interior.
Scan it near the Biolab room while you are already inside.
Biolab
Station for choosing early active and passive biomods.
It matters immediately after power is restored.
Large Wall Light
Base lighting option for larger wall coverage.
Scan the wall-light area and it unlocks with the small version.
Small Wall Light
Compact base lighting for corridors and smaller rooms.
Pick it up during the same scan pass as the large light.
New Life Poster
Decorative poster for your own base.
Scan it upstairs after the cave route before you leave the building.
Habitat Builder Crafting Chain
After both Welcome Center scans and the southwest wreck follow-up, return to the Lifepod or your Fabricator and reserve starter materials before spending them on spare tools. Habitat Builder needs Titanium, Glass, Basic Battery, and Copper Wire; Glass and Copper Wire each have their own small material step.
| Item | Materials | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Habitat Builder | 2 Titanium, 1 Glass, 1 Basic Battery, 1 Copper Wire | Craft this after both Welcome Center scans to start building your first base. |
 Glass | 2 Quartz | Glass is the Quartz conversion step inside the Habitat Builder recipe. |
 Copper Wire | 2 Copper | Crafting Copper Wire also opens the Junction Box path in your build progression. |
| Basic Battery | Starter power craft from the Fabricator | Carry a spare battery to the Welcome Center, then craft another if the Habitat Builder recipe needs it. |
Best First Biolab Picks
The Welcome Center Biolab asks you to choose practical survival upgrades before the map gets complicated. For most players, Dash plus Sea Skimmer is the cleanest first setup.
Active
Dash
Recommended first active pick
Dash gives you an immediate escape and correction tool. Press W plus Left Shift for a forward burst; Left Shift without direction can send you backward.
Active
Pathfinder
Useful later
Pathfinder marks the path behind you. It is helpful for complex caves, but the early Welcome Center and starter cave routes are simple enough that Dash usually wins first.
Passive
Sea Skimmer
Recommended first passive pick
Sea Skimmer improves swimming near underwater surfaces and the seafloor, which fits the early route style: shallow shelves, caves, wreck edges, and base-building errands.
Southwest Wreck Follow-up Unlocks
Do not turn the Welcome Center into the end of the route. The nearby southwest wreck starts the next chain: Dive Elevator and Beacon help navigation, while Tadpole progress reveals vehicle-power materials.
Dive Elevator
Scan its fragment at the southwest wreck after leaving the Welcome Center.
Beacon
Scan its fragment at the same wreck so later routes can be marked cleanly.
Tadpole
Scan one Tadpole fragment at the southwest wreck to start the vehicle route.
Power Cell
Unlocked when Tadpole progress begins, making vehicle power a real planning target.
Strong Acid
Unlocked with the Tadpole follow-up chain, then becomes part of later vehicle and resource planning.
Questions People Ask
Where is the Welcome Center in Subnautica 2?
From the Lifepod, swim southeast and hold about 150 degrees on the compass. Look for the lit facility ahead rather than a deep cave or distant wreck.
What should I bring to the Welcome Center?
Bring a Scanner and one spare Basic Battery. The Scanner handles the blueprint route, and the battery keeps the power step from forcing a swim back to the Lifepod.
Where are the two Habitat Builder fragments?
The first is near the Welcome Center entrance on the right side. The second is in the cave below the building, where you can refill oxygen before scanning it.
What does Habitat Builder unlock with it?
After the second scan, the Habitat Builder unlocks and the first base shell pieces, Hatch and Corridor, become available.
Which Biolab biomods should I pick first?
Pick Dash as the active biomod and Sea Skimmer as the passive biomod for the cleanest first-session value. Pathfinder is useful later when caves become more complex.
Where is the wreck after the Welcome Center?
Leave the Welcome Center and swim southwest, keeping the compass between about 210 and 240 degrees. The wreck sits around the 25 metre depth band before the deeper seep.
What can I scan at the southwest wreck?
Scan the Dive Elevator fragment, Beacon fragment, and one Tadpole fragment. Open the supply crate too before returning home.
What unlocks after scanning one Tadpole fragment?
The first Tadpole scan starts the vehicle route and reveals Power Cell and Strong Acid, so the next planning step moves toward vehicle power and deeper travel.
How do I dash forward after choosing Dash?
Press W plus Left Shift for a forward Dash. Pressing Left Shift without a direction can send you backward instead.
How does Air Bladder control work?
With Air Bladder selected, press F to refill oxygen. Right-click is the fast ascent action for emergency surfacing.
Is the Samantha Ayou display important?
It is mainly a Below Zero callback. Scan the damaged display case if you want the reference, then continue to the NOA and battery-terminal step.
Next Routes
After the Welcome Center, turn the unlocks into a base and start the vehicle chain.
Angel Comb Route
Do this first if food still fails: Anita black box, Angel Comb, and Digestion.
Base Building
Turn Habitat Builder into a powered first base with storage and a clean layout.
Habitat Builder
Tool page for scan route, crafting chain, and first-base planning.
Basic Battery
Starter battery planning for Scanner, Welcome Center power, and Habitat Builder.
DNA Modification
System page for Biolab, active/passive biomods, and later Bioscanner progression.
Tadpole Fragments
Vehicle route after the Welcome Center and first-base setup.