Video walkthrough
Watch the route, then match the frames
Video chapters
5 stepsVideo references
Watch or inspect the route before you dive
Click YouTube cards to load the player. Open frame cards to compare local screenshot notes. Use the evidence to confirm landmarks, movement, and encounter pacing, then follow the written checklist below.
Creature threat safety reference
Watch for: Threat reads, scan-window risk, large-creature lanes, and route-abort timing.
Threat read frame review
Watch for: Start with Creatures database guide / Hammerhead threat at 17:43. Compare the screenshot cue, route note, and player action before following the guide in-game.
Scan subject frame review
Watch for: Start with Creatures database guide / Hammerhead threat at 31:01. Compare the screenshot cue, route note, and player action before following the guide in-game.
Official update checks
Patch notes that can change this guide
Video watch notes
What to pause, compare, and write down
Do not watch the video like entertainment only. Use these notes as a second-screen checklist: pause on landmarks, confirm the player action, then return to the written route.
Watchlist
Pause on Threat read and identify the landmark, depth band, or objective state before following the next step.
Use Scan subject to confirm what changed; if the video only shows a close-up, rebuild the route from the previous landmark.
Treat Large creature lane as the exit rule: finish the objective, return, and update storage or crafting before adding side goals.
Threat read
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Action: Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Scan subject
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Action: Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.
Large creature lane
Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.
Action: Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.
Video route timeline
Turn the video into playable checkpoints
Use this section like a second-screen route sheet. Open each checkpoint, compare the frame, do the action, then stop if your route no longer matches the video evidence. It keeps the guide useful even when Early Access shifts small placements or creature behavior.
17:43Checkpoint 1: Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.Expand
Threat read
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Player action
Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Proof before moving on
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Reset to the last confirmed landmark or objective state, then repeat only the route-critical step.
31:01Checkpoint 2: Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.Expand
Scan subject
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Player action
Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.
Proof before moving on
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Use the video frame as evidence, but record entry, proof, and exit as separate notes.
35:27Checkpoint 3: Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.Expand
Large creature lane
Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.
Player action
Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.
Proof before moving on
Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Return, craft, sort storage, or retest the route before turning this page into a longer objective chain.
17:43Checkpoint 4: Record whether the creature targets player, vehicle, or route noise.Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.Expand
Threat read
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Player action
Record whether the creature targets player, vehicle, or route noise.
Proof before moving on
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Reset to the last confirmed landmark or objective state, then repeat only the route-critical step.
31:01Checkpoint 5: Recheck behavior after every Early Access hotfix before writing fixed tactics.Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.Expand
Scan subject
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Player action
Recheck behavior after every Early Access hotfix before writing fixed tactics.
Proof before moving on
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Watch this timestampIf this fails
Use the video frame as evidence, but record entry, proof, and exit as separate notes.
Gameplay evidence
Screenshots to match before you keep swimming
Use these frames as visual checkpoints. If the terrain, lighting, or landmark does not match, slow down and re-check the route instead of forcing the next step.
Threat read
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Scan subject
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Large creature lane
Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.
Route decision lab
Decide if this route is worth running now
This section turns the video into a practical in-game decision. Use it before leaving base, after the first landmark, and again before entering a deeper or darker area.
Route purpose
Treat Hammerheads as active Early Access tuning targets. Keep a retreat vector, test flare response after hotfixes, and avoid leaving Tadpoles in exposed routes until behavior is verified.
Visual checkpoint
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Map anchor
Hammerhead Test Route in Hammerhead patrol test edge. Use it for use this only as an observation edge; do not bring rare inventory into a tactic test.
Abort rule
Assuming a previous patch tactic still works.
Field manual translation
Treat Hammerheads as active Early Access tuning targets. Keep a retreat vector, test flare response after hotfixes, and avoid leaving Tadpoles in exposed routes until behavior is verified. Use this threat route manual as a second-screen checklist: identify the entry condition, confirm the objective with a visual proof point, then stop when the return rule is met. This keeps the article practical for Early Access patches without pretending every coordinate or state is final.
Primary job
Hammerhead - Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Best entry habit
Flares - Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.
Stop condition
Assuming a previous patch tactic still works. - Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.
Patch-safe reading
Exact item positions can shift during Early Access. The useful part of this page is the route logic: what to prepare, what visual cue to confirm, what objective to finish, and when to turn back.
Updated
2026-06-12 / tracking / Early Access
What this guide covers
Requirements
- Flares
- Survival Tool
- Clear vehicle return path
Use this if
You want a route you can follow from video evidence without needing exact official coordinates. The screenshots and steps are written to help you recognize areas, landmarks, and decisions while playing.
Early Access can move details. Treat this as a video-based walkthrough and verify landmarks in your own build.
Step-by-step walkthrough
Follow the video route without guessing
Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Large-creature lanes should be crossed with a destination, not explored as open water.
Record whether the creature targets player, vehicle, or route noise.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Use creature posture and route pressure to decide whether Hammerhead contact is safe to observe.
Recheck behavior after every Early Access hotfix before writing fixed tactics.
Use this step as a route checkpoint, not as a promise that every object spawns in one exact coordinate. Match the landmark, compare the screenshot, then continue only if the return path is still clear.
If your game build looks different, stay with the same decision: keep oxygen safe, scan or collect the current blocker, and return before pushing into the next unknown area.
Scan windows only matter when the escape line remains obvious.
After-action plan
What to do after the guide works
Bank the result
Recheck behavior after every Early Access hotfix before writing fixed tactics.
Clean the inventory
Move route-critical materials into labeled storage so the next dive starts with empty space and a clear job.
Pick the next guide
A conservative encounter hub for major threats, boss-like moments, escape planning, and Early Access verification.
Next route queue
Use these as the next blockers to solve after this route. Each queue card keeps the same evidence style: source video, gameplay frames, and a written checklist.
Best immediate follow-upBosses and Threats Overview
A conservative encounter hub for major threats, boss-like moments, escape planning, and Early Access verification.
Use if the route branchesCreature Safety Index
A compact creature safety database for deciding whether to observe, avoid, scan from cover, or abort a route.
Save for the next diveVehicles and Upgrades
A vehicle and upgrade planning guide for depth, storage, route safety, and progression in Subnautica 2.
Detailed notes
Why Hammerhead tactics need version notes
Official hotfix notes have already changed how Hammerheads interact with Tadpoles and flares. This page therefore tracks behavior patterns instead of pretending the final tactic is settled.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Safe test pattern
Mark the creature, back out, prepare flare and tool tests, then return with one variable at a time. If the route turns chaotic, leave and update the field note instead of forcing a scan.
Mark
Retreat
Test one tool
Record build date
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Practical field read
Hammerhead Threat Guide works best when you treat it as a threat read with a narrow job. Start with the loadout check: Flares. Then follow the first action without adding side goals: Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.. The page should help you recognize the behavior cue that tells you to approach, wait, or leave before you risk a longer dive. If the route starts producing unrelated discoveries, bank the note and return to the original objective instead of turning one guide into a full map sweep.
Loadout check: Flares
Route check: Survival Tool
First action: Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Proof point: Hammerhead
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
How to turn this into the next dive
After the first proof point, decide whether the route is solved, blocked, or worth repeating. Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn.. If it is solved, return and convert the result into crafting, storage, a map note, or the next related guide. If it is blocked, change only one variable: bring the missing tool, clear inventory, enter from a cleaner landmark, or wait for better oxygen and vehicle support. Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave.. Avoid the two habits that make this route feel unreliable: Assuming a previous patch tactic still works.; Leaving an unpiloted Tadpole in a high-traffic threat corridor..
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Video route notes
Hammerhead Threat Guide should be followed as a threat route, not as a memory test. Start by watching the first route movement and naming the entry condition before copying the path in-game. Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line. Then pause again when the video reaches the first visible proof point, because that is where the guide changes from general advice into an action you can repeat. Keep the Tadpole parked where terrain does not trap a fast turn. If the route starts to feel different in your build, keep the same player goal: recognize the danger window before committing to the approach.
Entry check: Flares
Route action: Approach suspected Hammerhead routes with a visible exit line.
Proof to look for: creature behavior proof
Version note: Early Access / tracking
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Screenshot checkpoints
Use screenshots as checkpoints instead of decoration. The first image should answer where the route begins, the second should show what confirms progress, and the third should explain what to do after the scan, pickup, puzzle state, or threat read is visible. Test flare attraction only with enough oxygen and distance to leave. This is especially important in Early Access because exact positions can drift while landmarks, depth bands, room states, and player decisions stay useful. A good screenshot lets you say, "I am at the right kind of place," before you risk oxygen, storage space, or vehicle safety.
Entry frame: match the landmark before moving deeper
Proof frame: confirm creature behavior proof
Exit frame: know the return direction before adding side goals
Loadout frame: check Survival Tool
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Stop rule and next dive
The most useful part of this page is the stop rule. Assuming a previous patch tactic still works. Leaving an unpiloted Tadpole in a high-traffic threat corridor. When the objective is confirmed, return and convert it into progress: craft the upgrade, sort the material, save the route note, or mark the blocker as solved. If the route fails, do not repeat the same swim blindly. Change one variable at a time: enter from a clearer landmark, reduce inventory clutter, bring the missing tool, or wait until oxygen and vehicle support match the route. That turns a failed threat route into better field knowledge instead of another late retreat.
How to use this in-game
Turn this note into one action before leaving base: decide the objective, keep only the materials or tools that support it, then stop the route once the scan, pickup, or landmark is confirmed. This keeps the guide useful even when Early Access patches move small details.
Common mistakes
Assuming a previous patch tactic still works.
Leaving an unpiloted Tadpole in a high-traffic threat corridor.
Testing mitigation tools with no escape margin.
FAQ
Is this guide for the current Subnautica 2 build?
This page is written for Early Access and includes a visible update date. Treat exact values as tracking notes until the current build is field-tested.
Does this page use official screenshots?
Pages combine attributed official Steam / Unknown Worlds media, local gameplay frame captures, and source-video evidence cards. New player-submitted captures should keep the route, timestamp, and build context attached.
Community notes
Add a field report
Player reports enter a moderation queue. Approved notes can load from Supabase; pending drafts stay visible in this browser for follow-up.
Near starter shallows
Approx. 70-120m from pod
Confirm oxygen before leaving the first landmark. The route is much safer when you mark the return path before collecting side materials.
Guide-wide
N/A
Creature patrol ranges and fragment placement can shift between builds, so treat exact distances as field estimates until multiple players confirm them.