In Subnautica 2, you'll very quickly learn that resources like Copper, Titanium, and Quartz are the building blocks of what you'll need to do, well, anything, the more you progress in the game. You'll always need more of all three of those resources, and they're thankfully easy to find in every part of the map. What's not as easy to find, however, are Necrolei Cysts.
It's a resource that you'll need for a key crafted resource, Strong Acid, an ingredient you'll need to craft a Power Cell, which you'll need for when you want to craft your first Tadpole in the earlier stages of your playthrough. When you finally reach the point of upgrading your Tadpole, it'll be imperative again when you want to be able to power those upgrades with Entangled Power Cells.
You can craft Strong Acid with resources other than Necrolei Cysts, by putting Sulfur and Gold into a Processor, but those are resources more commonly found in areas you probably can't safely access yet by the time you're trying to craft a Power Cell for your first Tadpole.
That's why just using Ncrolei Cysts is the preferred option, both before and after you're capable of farming as much Sulfur and Gold as you want, frankly. This guide will show you where to find them, so you'll never be without.
For more on Subnautica 2, check out our tips and tricks guide, our guide on crafting your first Tadpole, and how to find Silver in the early game.
Subnautica 2 Early Access - How to Get Necrolei Cysts
The Old Habitat
The best place to find Necrolei Cysts is thankfully not too far from your Lifepod at the start of the game, as you essentially just have to head to the Old Habitat. Spotted much more easily at night, right next to the Old Habitat, is a bright purple forest where you'll find Necrolei Cysts growing.
You'll have found the Old Habitat by following the Blackboxes, but if not, you can find it by just heading north from the Lifepod, and it's about 375m away. Be sure to have your Survival Multi-tool with you, so you can cut them and farm them.
You just need two Necrolei Cysts to craft Strong Acid with a Processor, so the best thing to do is just grab as many as you can carry when you first go to farm them. You're not going to be using them often, especially in the beginning, so making one large trip should serve you for a while.
Later in the game, you'll unlock the ability to farm Necrolei Cysts at your base, and you won't need to return to the one spot they always appear, should you need to collect more. But for early to mid-game needs, the spot next to the Old Habitat is the place to go.
Right now, in the game's early access state, Necrolei Cysts are a very limited-use resource, though they could very well become more useful ahead of the game reaching 1.0. They're already pretty significant now, even if they're only good for making acid for Power Cells.
About the author: David has been writing about videogames, technology, and culture since 2020, with a focus on reporting daily news across multiple publications, including GameDaily.Biz, GameSkinny, and PlayStation Universe before joining Wccftech in 2025. David started contributing as Canada/US reporter for Wccftech's gaming section in 2025. Besides being up-to-date on the industry's movements, he loves interviewing developers, reviewing games, and writing intricate essays about the symbolism and layered meanings to be found in rich narratives as he's done for publications like GamesIndustry.Biz, LostInCult, and others. Outside of games he loves movies, music, theatre, his hometown, and his family, though not necessarily in that order.
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