Ride the Styx Into Hell

Navigate the treacherous Styx and descend into Hell in Subnautica 2. This guide details finding entrances, the Lost River, Inactive Lava Zone, and alien bases.

To begin your journey into the depths, you need to find an entrance to the Styx. The easiest to locate is in the northwestern Blood Kelp Zone, a large cave mouth often seen when visiting Lifepod 2 for Cyclops depth module data. Be cautious of the patrolling adult Ghost Leviathan. An alternative is the western Blood Kelp Zone trench, which has fewer large predators but is narrower and harder to navigate.

Descend into the caves. If the lighting turns bright green, you have entered the Lost River. Beware of the corrosive green brine pools on the floor. You can scan skeletons here for lore. This is your first opportunity to gather Nickel. Immediately upgrade your Cyclops's depth module and craft a Prawn Suit depth module (requiring a Moonpool). While your vehicles are mostly safe here, some areas reach 1000m, exceeding your Cyclops's current 900m limit.

After upgrading your depth modules, continue navigating the Lost River to find a way deeper. You'll know you're on the right path when the brine pools become harmless, glowing blue pools surrounding a large, unique tree. Proceed past this tree to find your next objective.

Descending further will lead you to the Inactive Lava Zone. The lava here is molten and lethal. Do not approach it outside of your Prawn Suit, as direct contact is instantly fatal, and proximity can cause burns even with the reinforced suit.

You'll recognize you're in the correct area upon reaching a large, circular cavern with a small mountain in the center. Find the entrance into this mountain. Your Cyclops cannot fit, but your Prawn Suit can. Ensure you have crafted the necessary tablets (or brought the materials) beforehand and place them in your inventory.

Predator Warning! The cave within the mountain is inhabited by extremely lethal and aggressive Sea Dragon Leviathans that can rapidly fire fireballs. Your Cyclops is not safe here as they will attack it.

To avoid these predators, move at your slowest speed and use silent running when power allows. This is preferable to cavitating, which can attract unwanted attention.

Inside the mountain cave, collect any Ion Cubes you find. If you have the drill arm for your Prawn Suit, utilize the Ion Cube mining node located here.

You will find two doors requiring a purple tablet. Do not leave without exploring behind both. One contains a blue tablet, and the other holds blueprints for the Ion Battery and Ion Power Cell, which offer five times the capacity of standard cells. While they take longer to recharge, they last significantly longer. Craft an Ion Power Cell to replace your Prawn Suit's standard cell. If you have the materials, consider upgrading your Cyclops as well. Save one Ion Cube to craft a Blue Tablet, as two are needed for the final facility.

Once you have collected what you need, return to your Cyclops and search for a deeper path. If you're stuck, a pit north of the central mountain cavern contains a tunnel on one of its walls that leads to another lava area.

Upon finding a large cavern with another leviathan and an alien base, you've reached your destination. Dock your Cyclops near the base, equip your two Blue Tablets, and enter the base with your Prawn Suit.

The base contains a respawning Ion Cube node in its center, which you will need.

The main room of the base has several doors. Doors to the left and right contain lore and scan opportunities. The door directly ahead, blocked by a forcefield, is the moonpool and requires a blue tablet to open. Diagonal doors lead to Alien Arches. Placing an Ion Cube on a pedestal activates a two-way warp between arches. While these arches lead to various biomes, they are not critical for immediate progression, though activating them is recommended.

Proceed through the forcefield door into the moonpool. Stay put to witness an event. You can sink lower in the water for a better view.