How to Get Lithium in Subnautica 2: The Great Jaw Strategy

Locating lithium in Subnautica 2 is a significantly more challenging task than gathering titanium, lead, or gold. This rare metal is not scattered across the ocean floor; instead, it appears in only one primary location during the early game. However, do not panic. You do not need a massive stockpile to craft essential early-game items, as your initial requirements are quite low.

The primary challenge lies in the perilous nature of the harvest. You must swim into the mouth of The Great Jaw, a colossal predator, and extract the resource before it snaps shut. If you are prepared to brave this massive maw, here is exactly how to secure your supply.

Prerequisites for the Great Jaw

Before attempting to reach The Great Jaw, you must prepare adequately. The environment is hostile, and the creature itself is fast. Ensure you have the following:

  • Sonic Resonator: Unlocked via the Prawn Suit or appropriate crafting bay. This is the only tool that can break the lithium blocks inside the tonsil.
  • Standard Air Tank: Essential for extending your dive time.
  • High Capacity Dive Tank: Strongly recommended. You can find the recipe card inside the ruined colony building near the drop-off.
  • Oxygen Tunics: These provide passive O2 regeneration and are found around the exterior of The Great Jaw.
  • Mobility Gadgets: Bring Air Bladders for emergency O2 and consider crafting the Wakemaker or using the dash ability from the Biomod terminal in the Welcome Center ruin. Speed is your best defense.

Navigating to The Great Jaw

The journey begins southwest of the Lifepod. Follow the drop-off in the ocean floor and keep the crater wall to your right. As you progress, you will pass colony wreckage and spot a ruined colony building ahead and below you.

  1. Secure Your First Lithium: Just outside the building, on a table, you will find the first piece of lithium in a fragment of coral dome. Note that this specific block respawns over time, so you can return to it if necessary.
  2. Upgrade Your Gear: Enter the building to retrieve the High Capacity Dive Tank recipe card if you haven’t already.
  3. Head Southeast: Continue southeast for a short distance to locate The Great Jaw. It is easily identifiable as a giant pod-like mouth with tonsils covered in purple strands.

Extracting Lithium Inside the Maw

Once you arrive at The Great Jaw, the clock starts ticking. The lithium you need is embedded in the tonsil structure at the center of the jaw.

  • Refill Your O2: Before entering, use the Oxygen Tunics scattered around the exterior to max out your oxygen reserves. Your O2 will drain rapidly once you enter the jaw’s interior.
  • Break the Blocks: Use your Sonic Resonator to smash the lithium blocks inside the tonsil.
  • Escape Immediately: As soon as you damage the purple strands, the jaw will begin to close, attempting to eat you. You must grab the lithium and exit the mouth as fast as possible. If you are slow, you will be crushed or suffocated.

Alternative Sources: Hot Caves

While The Great Jaw is the primary early-game source, you will not need to return there indefinitely. Once you unlock the Heat Tolerance adaptation, you can access the volcanic vent zone.

Deep below the Tadpole Pens, in the Hot Caves, you can find abundant lithium. This location is far safer and more sustainable for long-term gathering than repeatedly risking death in The Great Jaw.

Early Game Utility

It is worth noting that lithium is not as critical as you might fear in the early stages. Its primary use is crafting Plasteel Ingots in the Processor. You only need one ingot to upgrade your diving tank, meaning a single trip to The Great Jaw is sufficient to secure your first upgrade. Focus on survival and exploration first; the lithium will become easier to come by as you unlock deeper biomes.