Subnautica

Where to Find Magnetite in Subnautica (Best Locations Guide)

Chloe

13 March 2026

12 min read

Magnetite in Subnautica is commonly found in deeper biomes like the Jellyshroom Cave, Mountains, Mountains Caves, and Lost River. Players can collect it directly from the seabed or mine large deposits using a Prawn Suit Drill Arm. The Jellyshroom Cave is usually the easiest and safest early-game magnetite location.

#What Is Magnetite in Subnautica?

If you’ve started exploring deeper parts of the ocean in Subnautica, you’ve probably run into crafting recipes that require magnetite. This raw material is essential for several mid-to-late game upgrades, especially those related to sonar systems, scanner rooms, and vehicle upgrades.

Because of how important it is, many players quickly start searching for:

magnetite subnautica
subnautica magnetite location
where to get magnetite subnautica

The tricky part is that magnetite isn’t usually found in the shallow starting areas. Instead, you’ll need to explore deeper and slightly more dangerous biomes.

The good news? Once you know where magnetite is found, gathering it becomes much easier.

#Where to Find Magnetite in Subnautica

Magnetite appears in several different biomes across the map. Some areas contain small pieces scattered on the seabed, while others have large resource deposits that can be drilled with a Prawn Suit.

Here are the main Subnautica magnetite locations:

#1. Jellyshroom Cave (Best Early Game Location)

The Jellyshroom Cave is widely considered the easiest place to find magnetite early in the game.

Why this area is great:

Relatively close to the starting Lifepod
Multiple magnetite nodes on cave floors
Easy to access with a Seamoth

Where to find it:

Inside caves beneath the Kelp Forest
Scattered along the seabed and cave walls

Tips for exploring the Jellyshroom Cave:

Bring a Seamoth with depth upgrades
Watch out for Crabsnakes
Use a Seaglide for quick navigation

For many players wondering where to find magnetite subnautica, this is usually the first reliable farming location.

#2. Mountains and Mountains Caves

Another excellent magnetite location Subnautica players use is the Mountains biome.

This biome sits northeast of the starting Lifepod and contains a large number of magnetite nodes.

You can find magnetite:

On the seabed
Inside Mountains Caves
As large resource deposits

However, there is one major downside.

Reaper Leviathans often patrol this biome, so you’ll need to stay alert while exploring.

Recommended preparation:

Seamoth with defense upgrades
A Seaglide
A Scanner Room to locate resources

#3. Lost River

The Lost River is one of the richest areas in the game for resources, including magnetite.

This massive underground biome contains:

Large magnetite deposits
Multiple resource clusters
Rare materials needed for late-game crafting

Entrances to the Lost River can be found in several places:

Blood Kelp Zone
Deep Grand Reef
Between the Bulb Zone and Mountains

Because the Lost River is much deeper, most players wait until they have:

A Cyclops
A Prawn Suit
Depth upgrades

Once you reach this area, magnetite becomes much easier to farm in bulk.

#4. Blood Kelp Zone

The Blood Kelp Zone is another biome where magnetite can appear.

You’ll typically find it:

On the seabed
Near cave entrances
Around deeper trench areas

While this area does contain magnetite, it’s not usually the first place players search because it can be a bit more dangerous.

Common threats include:

Warpers
Ampeels
Deep terrain hazards

Still, if you're exploring deeper parts of the map, it’s another solid subnautica magnetite location.

#5. Inactive Lava Zone and Lava Castle

Late in the game, magnetite can also appear in extremely deep regions such as:

Inactive Lava Zone
Lava Castle

These areas contain some of the largest resource deposits in the game.

However, they are only accessible with advanced vehicles and upgrades, so they’re not typically used for early magnetite farming.

#How to Get Magnetite in Subnautica

Now that you know where to find magnetite Subnautica, let’s talk about how to collect it.

There are two main methods.

#1. Picking Up Loose Magnetite

The easiest method is simply collecting small pieces found on the seabed.

Steps:

Explore magnetite-rich biomes like Jellyshroom Cave.
Look for dark rocks with blue crystal spikes.
Interact with them to pick them up.

This method works great early in the game.

#2. Mining Large Resource Deposits

Later in the game, you can mine large magnetite deposits.

To do this, you’ll need:

Prawn Suit
Drill Arm upgrade

Steps:

Locate a large magnetite deposit.
Approach it with your Prawn Suit.
Use the Drill Arm to mine the resource.

This method gives you far more magnetite at once, making it perfect for large crafting projects.

#What Magnetite Is Used For

Magnetite is considered an advanced crafting material, and it’s used for several important upgrades.

Some key recipes include:

#Fabricator Items

Stasis Rifle
Computer Chip components

#Vehicle Upgrades

Seamoth Sonar Upgrade
Seamoth Depth Module MK2
Cyclops Sonar Upgrade
Seamoth Vortex Torpedo

#Base Modules

Scanner Room HUD Chip
Scanner Room Range Upgrade
Thermal Plant

Because of these recipes, most players eventually need large amounts of Subnautica magnetite.

#Tips for Finding Magnetite Faster

If you’re still struggling with how to get magnetite in Subnautica, these tips can make the process much faster.

#Use a Scanner Room

A Scanner Room can locate nearby resources automatically.

Install upgrades like:

Scanner Room Range Upgrade
HUD Chip

This lets you track magnetite locations directly on your HUD.

#Bring the Right Vehicles

Exploring deeper biomes is much easier with the right equipment.

Helpful vehicles include:

Seamoth – great for early exploration
Cyclops – perfect for deep expeditions
Prawn Suit – required for drilling deposits

#Explore Caves Carefully

Many magnetite nodes appear inside cave systems.

Always bring:

Extra oxygen tanks
A Seaglide
A beacon to mark entrances

This prevents you from getting lost underground.

#Playing Subnautica With Friends

Subnautica is traditionally a single-player experience, but many players use multiplayer mods like Nitrox to explore the ocean together.

Running your own Subnautica server hosting setup allows you to:

Explore biomes as a team
Build massive underwater bases
Share resource gathering

For larger friend groups, many players prefer affordable Subnautica server hosting so they can explore dangerous biomes like the Lost River or Lava Zone together.

#So what do we think of Magnetite in Subnautica

Magnetite is one of the most important resources once you start progressing deeper into Subnautica. While it can feel difficult to locate at first, knowing the best magnetite locations in Subnautica makes a huge difference.

The Jellyshroom Cave is usually the easiest place to start, while deeper biomes like the Lost River and Mountains provide larger amounts later in the game.

Once you have a Scanner Room, Seamoth upgrades, or a Prawn Suit, gathering magnetite becomes much easier - letting you unlock some of the game’s most powerful tools and upgrades.

So if you’ve been wondering where to get magnetite Subnautica, start with the Jellyshroom Cave and work your way deeper into the ocean.

Good luck exploring, survivor.

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