Cut Content (Below Zero)

This page serves to chronicle any significant content that was cut from the final version of Subnautica: Below Zero.

Biomes

Deep Arctic

• Type: Aquatic
• Depth range: 330 - 700 meters

The Deep Arctic was the entrance to the Methane Ice Caves Biome, and was surrounded entirely by the Arctic biome. It was going to be the original home for the cut Ice Dragon Leviathan. Not much was known about the biome before it was cut. The Deep Arctic was removed in build 15728 after the 2019 summer developer retreat, and everything below 500 meters in the biome (including the Methane Ice Caves) was completely filled in with terrain.

Resources:

• Nickel Ore
• Ruby
• Glow Whale
• Rock Puncher

Fissure

• Type: Caves
• Depth range: 320 - 480 meters

The Fissure was a small unfinished transitional biome that connected the Purple Vents with the old Crystal Caves. Not much was known about the biome before it was removed. The Biome and the original Crystal Caves were removed in build 15728 after the 2019 summer developer retreat.

This biome's purpose was later filled in by the Deep Purple Vents.

Resources:

• Lithium
• Quartz
• Blighter

A view of the fissure with fog turned off.

Frozen River

• Type: Above ground
• Depth range: Above sea level

The Frozen River, as the name suggests, was a narrow chasm which a frozen river ran through. Prior to the Frostbite update, the river was a part of the original story's intro, where the player would cross through the biome as meteors rained from above. The biome is still in the game, but can only be accessed by using the jump boost of a Prawn Suit or by building your way up to it.

Flora:

• Blue Scrub Bush
• Frost Vase Plant
• Frozen River Plant 01

Overview, day

Overview, night

Frozen river - by Pavel Goloviy

Early sketch of the frozen river - by Pavel Goloviy

Frozen river paintover process - by Pavel Goloviy

Above water concept - by Pavel Goloviy

Frozen River Waterfall - by Pavel Goloviy

"Canyon Plant" - by Pavel Goloviy

Hoverzone 3

• Type: Above ground
• Depth range: Above sea level
• Biome ID: hoverzone3

Hoverzone 3 was an unfinished surface biome that served as the way back to the Architect Gate Base (which at the time was known as the Architect Shield Base) during the game's final act. It had no fauna and was connected to the Fabricator Caverns via a big deep hole. The biome was one of the three original "Hover" biomes, the other two being the Glacial Basin (hoverarea) and the Arctic Spires (hoverzone2). In early access version 8 and 8.1 the entrance to the area was blocked off by a wall of crystals to stop the player from progressing further than the developers intended. It was then cut as the story no longer required that the player be kept from accessing the Architect Gate Base (formally known as the Architect Shield Base). The area was removed from the world as of build 32522 and the crystal wall has been replaced by a short tunnel leading to a dead end. Before the area was removed a Shadow Leviathan and a few crystals could be found at the entrance to the area.

Ice Sheet

• Type: Above ground
• Depth range: Above sea level

The Ice Sheet was an unfinished surface biome that used to be a one-way route leading to the Arctic Kelp Forest from the Arctic Spires. The area where the biome used to reside has been filled with terrain, however, the biome ID is still in the game.

Leviathan Trench

The Leviathan Trench was a biome listed on the developer Favro during early development. It was eventually cut for unknown reasons.

Methane Ice Caves

• Type: Caves
• Depth range: 480 - 890 meters
• Point of Interest: Marguerit Maida's Base (old), Methane Ice Caves Cache

The Methane Ice Caves would have been the deepest biome in the game at 883m deep. Before it was cut, it contained the earliest iteration of Marguerit Maida's Base (Coordinates: 1064 -595 -657), at the time a placeholder copy of Research Base Cappa, at a depth of 590m. The player meets Marguerit for the second time there. Though the biome ID is still in the game, the area was cut for unknown reasons. The Methane Ice Caves was one of the first biomes teased with concept art. The Biome was removed in build 15728 after the 2019 summer developer retreat.

Fauna:

• Spinefish

The base in the Methane Ice Caves

Rocket Area Shelf

The Rocket Area Shelf was the pre-release location of the Exchanger Rocket. As evidenced by the leftover biome ID, it was located near a cave in the Ice Sheet called the Rocket Cave. For progression reasons, the area was cut a month before release and replaced with Delta Island.

Characters

kn1ghTski65

kn1ghTski65 was a character that sold a passenger shuttle to Robin. He only appeared in the Frostbite update.

Maxim Plenty

Maxim Plenty was a character serving as the Director of the 4546B Vesper Mission. In the story prior to the Frostbite update, he briefly interrogates Robin on the unusual biometrics recorded from her biosample that she sent up in the Exchanger Rocket. In the Deep Dive iteration of the story, Maxim interrogates Serik Jevov, ordering him to deactivate the planetary shield, and proceeds to put Sam under arrest.

Serik Jevov

Serik "Jeff" Jevov was the main antagonist of the story prior to the Frostbite update. Jevov served as a contractor working for Alterra, alongside Robin. During the game’s original introduction, he awakens Al-An and escapes into an Alterra Shuttle only to survive crash-landing in the Glacial Basin. At some point in the story, Jevov would contact Robin on an unmonitored channel informing that he could provide her information regarding her conflict with Al-An residing in her head shortly before cutting off. Sometime after acquiring Jevov’s PDA, the Vesper finds him in the next sector, and alongside Robin is ordered to return to the Vesper as soon as a ship was made available. Shortly after Robin sends the Enzyme 42 sample in the Exchanger Rocket up to the Vesper Station, Jevov activates the planetary shield, intentionally destroying the rocket in the process. It is then revealed that he had released Khaara onto the station and threatened its members on board to relocate the Vesper to the nearest star system to receive a cure from his colleagues, in order to capture Al-An for himself.

The voice actor for Serik Jevov was Alexander Mercury.

Prior to the Deep Dive update, he was originally named Jo Jeffreys.

Coral

Tree Spires Coral

The Tree Spires Coral was a coral species that was never implemented into Subnautica: Below Zero. Its name would suggest that it was meant to appear in the Tree Spires, but the Tree Spires Coral was never added there. The reason this coral species was cut is unknown.

Dialogues

EA1 - EA5

Act I

"NB ALL TEXT AND VOICE IS WORK IN PROGRESS AND NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF FINAL QUALITY*

EMPEROR (DREAM SEQUENCE): We are different. But we go together."

"VESPER: Station Zero, this is Vesper come in. ROBIN: Hi, Sam. SAM: We lost contact with Jeffreys up at the research site. ROBIN: OK, I'll check it out. SAM: Understood. ROBIN: You know, the formal bit's cute, but we shared a womb. Would it kill your career to act like we'd met before? SAM: Robin you know these conversations are monitored. ROBIN: I don't care who knows it's cute. I've been here two weeks, we've hardly spoken. SAM: Because you went straight to the planet. Find Jeffreys. Chat later. ROBIN: Yes, ma'am."

"ALIEN FACILITY: Warning: Access denied. Further efforts will be denied forcefully. Concede, Robin Goodall. ROBIN: How do you know my name?! I come in peace!"

"ROBIN: Sam, the building just powered up. It spoke to me. SAM: Are you safe? It's never done that before. ROBIN: I'm fine. No sign of Jeffreys. SAM: I've got an electrical storm on the sensors... Thunder crack ROBIN: I think it's already here. SAM: That cavern isn't stable. I want you to get back to- Static ROBIN: Sam?! Damnit!"

"PDA: Your environment is no longer safe, and your PDA has rebooted in emergency mode. Be advised: Remaining above ground will result in lethal exposure."

"SAM: Robin, come in. ROBIN: I copy! I'm out in open water. SAM: Stay where you are, I'm sending a rescue shuttle. ROBIN: No, I'm okay! I just need shelter. SAM: Fine, I'm sending a temporary habitat instead. Look up. ROBIN: Thank you, Sam. SAM: Call me when you get there."

"ROBIN: Sam, I'm at the habitat. Any word on Jeffreys? SAM: Nothing. ROBIN: And the facility? It said my name. I need to know why. SAM: I know. Make something to eat. Get equipped. I'll have answers by then. ROBIN: Will do."

Act II

"SAM: Robin, the boss wants a sitrep. ROBIN: I'm cold, I lost all my gear, and I'm no wiser to what's going on. But I'm alive. SAM: I can't authorize another drop. Hold on... There's an emergency equipment cache. Hasn't been touched since the scouts landed six months ago. Could be useful. ROBIN: Send me the coords. SAM: On your HUD."

"SAM: I've got a lead for you. An alien sanctuary in the twisty bridges, 200 meters down. ROBIN: I need to go back to the research site. SAM: I can't let you. ROBIN: Why not? SAM: Boss's orders. We're trying to keep you alive. ROBIN: Only because salaries cost less than lawsuits. SAM: Is that cynicism making you friends down there? ROBIN: Sure, they're just not human. SAM: The files are on your databank. Do as you please, just tell me what you find. And don't get me in trouble."

"SAM: I ran some scans, I got a more precise location on the alien sanctuary. Sending the coords now."

"SAM: We've got you on GPS, you're close to the sanctuary. Do you see anything? ROBIN: Some small alien structures dotted about, I'll see where they lead. "SANCTUARY: Robin Goodall. Concede. ROBIN: I come in peace. SANCTUARY: Absence of hostility... Sufficient. ROBIN: Are you... alive? Or a computer? SANCTUARY: What is the difference? ROBIN: I... I want to meet the people who built this place. What do you want? SANCTUARY: For you to stay here. ROBIN: With you? SANCTUARY: Forever. ROBIN: Why? SANCTUARY: Your masters will seek to harness my power. ROBIN: You've met Alterra then. SANCTUARY: It is what we would do. ROBIN: People will come for me. SANCTUARY: They will also stay here. That is all. ROBIN: I waited my life for this. I'm not your enemy! Hello?!"

"SANCTUARY: Turn back. Now. ROBIN: What is this room for? SANCTUARY: Do not touch anything. You would not understand. Die peacefully."

"ALIEN FACILITY: Data must be flushed to an empty storage vessel. Searching... Storage vessel found. Commencing download. ALIEN FACILITY: Download complete. ALIEN VOICE: You have no concept for what has just occurred. ROBIN: I know it hurt. What happened?! ALIEN VOICE: Download capacity was identified in your cerebral cortex. ROBIN: You're in my head?! ALIEN VOICE: It is uncomfortable. Return me. ROBIN: Release the forcefields first. ALIEN VOICE: Return me or I will destroy your orbital station. ROBIN: Why not do it now? ALIEN VOICE: My survival chance increases if I do not draw attention. ROBIN: I don't think you have the power. I think you're scared. ALIEN VOICE: Then I will destroy you. I am experiencing technical difficulties. Do not move. Do not move. Errors. Hibernating. ROBIN: I didn't mean to scare you! Sighs What is happening?"

"SAM: Did you make it inside the sanctuary? ROBIN: Yup. SAM: Anything unusual? ROBIN: Like what? SAM: We're getting odd readings from your biometrics. ROBIN: Hmm...Malfunction

[TRUNCATED — content shortened for LLM input]"