The ocean in Subnautica 2 is vast, and getting around it without the right tools is a slow, oxygen-burning slog. The Wakemaker solves that problem early.
This guide covers everything you need to unlock it: where to find all three fragments, how to build the crafting chain behind it, and what to keep in mind once you equip it.
Subnautica 2 entered Early Access on May 14, 2026, and receives active updates. Fragment spawn positions and crafting recipes may change between patches. This guide reflects the current build as of May 15, 2026.
1. What the Wakemaker Does
Wakemaker
The Wakemaker is a handheld propulsion tool that boosts your swim speed when equipped from the hotbar. It serves as Subnautica 2‘s version of the original game’s Seaglide, and it sits between basic flippers and the Tadpole submersible in terms of mobility.
Without it, reaching resources at depths of 25 to 50 meters burns through your oxygen supply on every trip. The twin-fan propulsion system gives you a noticeable speed boost that makes every dive faster and less frustrating, especially before you own a Tadpole.
The Wakemaker is the first major mobility unlock worth prioritizing after your oxygen tank and basic fins. Unlike one-scan blueprints, it requires three separate fragment scans before it becomes craftable, and the recipe involves a short material chain that new players often miss.
2. What to Prepare Before the Fragment Hunt
Fabricator requirements
Before leaving, build a Scanner, top off oxygen, and make sure you have access to a Fabricator.
- Scanner: Every fragment must be scanned individually, and there is no way to unlock the blueprint without one. Build your Scanner first before exploring.
- Oxygen Supply: Top off your oxygen before diving, since the fragments sit between 20 and 30 meters deep.
- Base with Fabricator: The Lifepod Fabricator cannot craft the Wakemaker. Build a basic room with a hatch, install a Fabricator inside, and place a few Solar Panels on the roof.
3. All Three Fragment Locations
The Wakemaker fragments are spread across a small cluster of abandoned science lab platforms north of the starter zone. All three are reachable with minimal gear, and none require you to enter particularly hostile water.
The blueprint progress bar fills with each scan until you collect all three. If you swim past the platforms without carefully exploring each structure, they are easy to miss.
Fragment 1: North of the Lifepod
Seabed Wakemaker Fragment’s location
- Location: Inside a box on a shallow seabed, roughly 30 meters deep.
- Directions: Head roughly 15 degrees north from the Lifepod and look for a broken ship.
- Tip: The broken ship acts as a clear visual landmark. Scan the box and move on without backtracking to the surface.
Fragment 2: Southeast of the Lifepod
Science Lab Wakemaker Fragment’s location
- Location: On a desk inside a science lab platform, roughly 25 meters deep and 200 meters away.
- Directions: Head about 120 degrees southeast from the Lifepod into the open seabed.
- Tip: Look for Coral Crabs crawling across the seafloor to anchor your navigation, then search the interior of the nearby platform.
Fragment 3: Northeast of the Lifepod
- Location: On a science lab platform perched on a cliff, roughly 20 meters deep and 200 meters away.
- Directions: Head about 45 degrees northeast from the Lifepod.
- Alternative Route: If the cliff platform is empty, head northeast past the digestive ability tree, reach the machine wreck, enter the pipe below, and turn right to find the fragment.
4. How to Craft the Wakemaker
Wakemaker materials
Once you scan all three fragments, the Wakemaker blueprint unlocks automatically. Head back to the Fabricator inside your base (not the Lifepod version) to craft it.
Recipe Requirements
- 1x Silver
- Wiring Kit: 1x Silver + 1x Copper Wire
- Grease: 1x Lucifer Rotsac
- Basic Battery: 2x Copper + 1x Acidic Raion Pouch
How to Get Silver and the Wiring Kit
- Silver: Find this ore in caves roughly 200 meters north of the Lifepod.
- Copper Wire: Made from Copper ore in starter-area caves.
- Tip: Look for the orange Pent near cave entrances.
Once you collect Silver and craft Copper Wire, open the Fabricator, create the Wiring Kit, and proceed to the final assembly.
How to Get Grease and a Basic Battery
Lucifer Rotsac
- Grease: Requires 1x Lucifer Rotsac and can be crafted at any Fabricator.
- Lucifer Rotsac Location: Travel about 84 meters from the Lifepod at a 120-degree bearing, roughly 12 meters deep. Look for orange-glowing orbs nestled inside the teal, antler-shaped Cradle Shootroot plants.
- Basic Battery: Requires 2x Copper and 1x Acidic Raion Pouch.
- Acidic Raion Pouch Location: Harvest these purple, brain-shaped fauna from the bottoms of starter-area caves using the Survival Multitool.
5. How to Use and Maintain the Wakemaker
After crafting the Wakemaker, focus on battery management so the speed boost is available when you need it most.
- Speed Boost: Equip your new Wakemaker from your hotbar to boost your swim speed. It lets you dive deeper, outrun early threats, and gather resources much faster.
- Power Management: The tool runs on a Basic Battery charge. Using it drains the battery over time, and running out of power while deep underwater is genuinely dangerous.
- Battery Swapping: Carry a charged Basic Battery in your inventory. Press the reload key (R on PC) and confirm the swap via the on-screen prompt when your power runs low.
- Recharging: Build a Battery Terminal base module. Scan its fragments to unlock the blueprint, then attach it to your base so every return trip restores your charge without burning extra materials.
- Next Steps: Your next major mobility upgrade is the Tadpole submersible. Use the Wakemaker to make your Tadpole fragment runs considerably faster.
