Nickel is a fairly middle to late game resource in Subnautica: Below Zero, as it's used primarily for a few awesome vehicle upgrades. Without Nickel Ore, you won't be able to make your Prawn Suit jet jump, so there's that. It's also needed for the final tier depth upgrade for the Seatruck.
Those upgrades are pretty powerful and do require some other resources, but Nickel Ore is a key component. That's why Nickel is located in some of Below Zero's deepest, darkest, and most terrifying biomes. You'll need to venture deep to find it. Here's what you need to know.
Where To Find Nickel Ore In Subnautica: Below Zero
There are a few different biomes where you can find Nickel Ore, and they're typically deep down or hidden away in caves and fissures. Here's a complete list.
- Throughout the Crystal Caves biome
- The Deep Lilypad Caves and Lilypads Crevice
- Fabricator Caverns
Just a small example of what you might be dealing with on your search for Nickel, the Crystal Caves are roamed by two hideous Shadow Leviathans, as well as some of the other new dangerous carnivores in Below Zero. Both the Crystal Caves and Deep Lilypads require some serious depth upgrades to venture down there, and the stress probably isn't worth it for a few lumps of Nickel.
Nickel is also rare and difficult to find. Its hazy color blends into other rocks and resources, especially in the dark deeper waters. If you're struggling to find the Nickel you need to get those final pieces of Ore for a depth upgrade, don't worry.
Thankfully, a) you don't need much Nickel to craft everything that requires it in the game, and b) there are some safer locations where you can get most of the Nickel you need without too much hassle.
Best Location To Find Nickel Ore
There are a couple of locations that Nickel Ore can be found at that don't require you to venture too deep. The best for new(ish) players is in the caves and caverns close to the wreck of the Mercury II, easy to find if you navigate from the Delta Island Dock.
Left Of The Delta Island Dock
- Head left from Delta Island Dock and follow the island's rocky outcrops until you bump into the Wrecked Ship. This piece of the Mercury II covers the borders of the Purple Vents and Tree Spires biomes.
- Continue left from the Wrecked Ship until you spot some purple vents, then drop down around 150 meters.
- You will enter a series of caves. Nickel Ore is located on the edge of the rocks at around 250-260 meters.
- It's recommended you approach this biome with a Rebreather, at least two High Capacity Oxygen tanks, and a Seatruck. Come prepared with some good food, as well.
You are basically in the Purple Vents biome right now. Nickel Ore is located in the shallower parts before you head into the Deep Purple Vents and, at some point, into the beginning of the Crystal Caves. The area with the most Nickel is fairly safe from aggressive fauna.
Tip: Use your scanner to check outcrops on the sides of rocks. You can turn on the "Highlight Interactables" option in your menu so that these pieces of mineral glow when you glance over them. Limestone and Nickel Ore do look a bit similar, though Nickel tends to have a sort of gold-ish glow to it. As a result, Nickel might be easier to find if you turn your light off.
Other things to note:
- Nickel Ore, unlike other ores in the game, does not spawn in Ore Veins or Large Resource Deposits.
- You can craft a Scanner Room to make finding Nickel Ore much easier. The Scanner Room Base module highlights specific ores within a pretty large radius. This removes the challenge of hunting for the Nickel in the gloomy waters of the Deep Purple Vents.
Sea Monkeys Can Gift You Nickel Ore
If you're having a hard time finding Nickel Ore (and it is difficult to find, even in the above location) then Sea Monkeys can slowly gift you enough Nickel to craft the level three depth upgrades for the Seatruck and Prawn Suit.
Watch out, spoilers.
Before you meet and interact with Al-An, Seamonkeys will only try to mischievously steal your tools. Your new AI friend Al-An, however, seems to have a pretty good relationship with the friendly fauna. They will occasionally gift you Nickel Ore. Considering you only need seven pieces in total to craft the upgrades, this isn't a terrible method of getting all the Nickel you need, if a bit slow.