Arctic Spires

A stark surface landscape. Dangerously cold. Curved spires stretch to the sky. ― Al-An

The Arctic Spires is a very large above-water Biome in Subnautica: Below Zero. This biome borders the Glacial Bay.

Infobox Data

Description

The area appears as a frozen landscape, with a flat ice sheet broken up by huge spires of ice jutting up from below. It would appear the sea level has dropped since the ice spires formed, or the spires were thrust upwards, as the spires each have a large mass of ice a short way up above the floor, implying that this was once the level of the surrounding ice sheet.

Ore veins can be found scattered across the Biome.

Entrances

There are two entrances to the Biome, both being located in the Glacial Bay:

1. The first entrance requires the player to refuel an Alterra Corporation bridge with Hydraulic Fluid in order to gain access to the Biome.
2. The second entrance is a narrow, underwater tunnel, adjacent to an Architect Cable, gated by a wall of ice that can be unsealed by the player using a Laser Cutter; however, the player cannot cut through the wall unless they are within the tunnel itself, which is accessible from within the Arctic Spires.

Points of Interest

• Valley (Northeastern Corner): Possesses an Ice Worm carcass along with other skeletal remains. Directly west of it is the Arctic Spires Cache. At the center of the valley, a meteor seems to have recently landed, with Large Resource Deposits of Silver Ore and Titanium on it that can be mined.
• Western Cave: Two blue Trivalve Eggs can be found inside a cave in the valley on the western side, near a frozen river.
• Ice Worm Tunnels: Tunnels dug out by the Ice Worms contain Ore Veins and Large Resource Deposits of Copper and Titanium.
• Eastern Side: An Architect Artifact known as a Greenhouse is located in a cave alongside an Ion Cube.
• Southwestern Region: Scannable Architect Cabling can be found inside a large cave.
• Northern Central Part: A Principal Architect Teleporter chamber can be found inside of a cave. A breach in the chamber leads to an Alterra site with a dilapidated but functioning Architect elevator. The elevator leads to the Biome’s sealed underwater entrance. A Jukebox Disk can be found on a crate right in front of the elevator at the bottom.
• Northwestern Side: Three Large Resource Deposits of Ion Cubes can be found in a cave, behind a doorway. Right below said cave, there's a Spy Pengling site with two Ion Cubes.

Resources & Items

• Snowfox Ice Worm Attack Reduction Module
• Thumper
• Light Stick
• Desk
• Blue Trivalve Egg
• Copper Ore
• Diamond
• Fevered Pepper
• Ion Cube
• Large Copper Ore Deposit
• Large Diamond Deposit
• Large Ion Cube Deposit
• Large Silver Ore Deposit
• Large Titanium Deposit
• Lithium
• Silver Ore
• Snowball
• Snow Stalker Fur
• Titanium
• Quartz

Fauna & Flora

• Arctic Peeper
• Bladderfish
• Ice Worm
• Snowstalker
• Fevered Pepper Tree

Tech Sites

• Thumper Batteries
• Thumper Upgrades
• Tunnels
• Battery
• Disinfected Water
• Fiber Mesh
• First Aid Kit
• JT Music - Take the Dive
• Lubricant
• Nutrient Block
• Water Purification Tablet

Gallery

Overview of the biome during the day

Overview of the biome during the night

The biome experiencing foggy weather

The main entrance to the biome, only accessible after refueling the bridge in the Glacial Bay

One of the larger areas of the Arctic Spires

One of the biome's canyon regions

An ice fissure found within the biome's canyon region

A frozen river that connects to major portions of the biome

Architect tech can be found scattered across the biome

Meteorite impact found within the biome

Part of a small cave that contains a fractured piece of Precursor Cabling

A tunnel made by burrowing Ice Worms

A small Architect Cache in a cave

Ditto, the other side.

A tech site where the Thumper data box can be found

A tech site bordering the furthest region of the biome

A dig site with large diamond deposits

An Ice Worm found within the biome

Ice Worm Boneyard

The cave within the biome that leads to the Principal Architect Teleporter

The Architect elevator that transports the player to the Principal Architect Teleporter

The Principal Architect Teleporter

The Architect Greenhouse located in a cave

Concept art

Trivia

• Early in development, the Arctic Spires' biome ID was hoverzone2.
• This makes the Arctic Spires one of the three original "Hover" biomes, the other two being the Glacial Basin (hoverarea) and the cut Hoverzone 3.
• The Arctic Spires used to have an alternative exit that would lead to the cut Ice Sheet biome and ended in the Arctic Kelp Forest.