The murky blue depths of Subnautica can be both beautiful and utterly frightening at times. From exotic Coral Reefs the color of rainbows to the sulfur spewing volcanic clouds of the Lava Zone (an area perfect for thermal plants), the game really captures that terrifying alien world beneath the waves. Now there’s a new monster mod making waves and it’s leaving players scared to go back into the sea of Subnautica.
Dubbed the Gargantuan Leviathan mod, this frightening addition to Subnautica was made by Space Cat Creations, a team of modders who originally released a trailer to showcase this gigantic beast on YouTube. The mod is still under development for now but with its growing popularity with fans, this supersized sea beast could terrorize the oceans of Planet 4546B in no time at all. So with that in mind, here are a few interesting facts that you might not have known about the Gargantuan Leviathan Mod.
Updated April 12, 2022, by Matthew Mckeown: It’s been nearly a year since the last check-in, and sadly the Subnautica Gargantuan Leviathan mod is still not available to the public. But it has gone under a pretty substantial rework since then and is now part of a much larger mod pack called the Return of The Ancients. This is an unofficial expansion to Subnautica that also adds several new features, base parts, and more creatures to make the barren alien seas feel a little more alive.
Though a lucky few have gotten access to a closed experimental branch of the mod, there are some new things we can piece together about this massive monster. Here are a few more details that have come out about this devil of the deep that will no doubt keep you locked inside your underwater habitat forever.
15 It’s Based On A Real Skeleton In The Game
Unlike most monster mods for games that are based on fan designs, the general idea for the Gargantuan Leviathan came from a real monster skull found in the game. Luckily it’s long extinct, but its massive bones remain for players to stumble upon.
Naturally, fans in the Community have often speculated what the significance of this monstrous skull (along with some other oddities found in the game) could mean and if such a huge creature was somewhere in the game. Divers brave enough to confront this massive monstrous relic can find it in the Lost River Biome. The skull itself is a massive 100 meters in length, so you can already estimate how big the real version is in the mod as the head alone is bigger than the Sea Dragon Leviathan.
14 It’s The Biggest Leviathan So Far
There are a number of really massive fish in Subnautica. From the passive Rays and herbivores to the aggressive sharks and other predators skulking around, most of the fauna in the seas of 4546B is much bigger than you. But one species that dwarfs them all is the Leviathan class. There are a number of different variants in the game already and some of them such as Reaper Leviathan are pretty massive, but the Gargantuan outsizes them all.
Although there are no set final dimensions yet as to how big the creature can be as is still under development, there are still some signs of what the mod team has in mind. When this roaming giant is scanned the mod includes lore that explains the Juveniles of the species can range in size up to 900 meters, whilst fully grown adults can be as much as three miles long, which is absolutely massive.
13 It Does A Lot Of Damage
Aside from its absolutely massive size and those huge jaws filled with collossal sharp teeth, the other big threat from this beast is that it does a ridiculous amount of damage. In most cases, all it takes is one bite to send you straight to the respawn screen.
This big monster currently does 100 percent of the player’s health bar with one big chomp when outside or inside any submersible vehicle. Although, if you want to give yourself a very minor chance at escaping unscathed it’s highly recommended you bring along the Prawn Suit as it only does around 70 percent of your health when you’re inside that tough suit of mecha armor.
12 It’s Seemingly Invulnerable
Most of the monsters in Subnautica you can fight back against, to varying degrees of success depending on how tough your tech is. Unfortunately, that same approach doesn’t float with the Gargantuan Leviathan.
This looming Sea God is seemingly invulnerable to most if not all damage. Though this could hopefully change in the future to give underwater explorers more of a fighting chance. For now, your only option should you encounter one that turns hostile is to turn tail and run.
11 There Is A Baby Version
Though it’s only been seen in a few videos, there’s a dedicated information page on the mod wiki and the devs have confirmed they are working on a Juvenile Gargantuan Leviathan. Substantially smaller than its older counterparts, the baby Garg is not hostile and will swim around and play with you when you’re able to obtain it as a pet.
Though the method of how you do this is unknown, its behavior is similar to the Cuddlefish and according to its databank entry, it will act hostile towards any creatures that attack its adopted parent. Which is pretty handy considering it’s the size of a Cyclops Submarine and just as nippy as a Sea Moth, so it’s the perfect underwater guard dog.
10 It Seems To Have An Energy Drain
Though a Sea Moth, Cyclops, or Prawn Suit is your best way to escape or at least survive a Subnautica Gargantuan Leviathan encounter (albeit briefly). This gigantic monster can, rather worryingly, use your technology against you.
According to those that have run into it in the Subnautica Community, this beast can also feed off the energy of your vehicles. Batteries that were full can be drained incredibly quickly and what was once your quickest way to escape, instantly becomes a metal tomb. Turning you essentially into a floating lunch box for these mega-mouthed monsters.
9 It’s Not The Fastest
Though the Gargantuan Leviathan has a lot of strength right off the bat that makes it quite the super predator, it does have one little flaw. It’s not particularly quick. Though it can catch you out with short bursts should you get too close, you can still outrun it should you need to.
Unlike its smaller cousins that quickly cruise around the oceans of Planet 4546B, thanks to the huge size of this particular fiend it has a hard time keeping up with you. Sea Moths are particularly useful around this creature as you can zip away easily should it start eying you up for lunch.
8 The Mod’s Still Not Out Yet
Whilst images and videos of the mod are already on Youtube, the addon itself is not available to publicly download just yet. What’s been released so far is an early access build and it’s mostly been to Influencers and other creators in a way to showcase the creature.
Although there is no set date on the release just yet, one of the team did confirm in a Reddit post that it would be compatible with VR when it comes out. So get ready to look around you in terror for those massive teeth taking a bite out of your behind when the mod eventually comes out for public access.
7 It Glows When Hunting Players
Realizing when an encounter with one of the various sea beasts in Subnautica is about to go deadly is crucial to surviving beneath those strange waves. Knowing when to back up and get out of there fast before a big fish decides that you’re next on the lunch menu needs to be clear and concise to players, especially on Hardcore Mode where Permadeath is your primary concern at all times.
The Gargantuan Leviathan has a particularly noticeable tell when it’s about to turn aggressive and swallow you whole. Its tentacles, tongue, and eyes glow brightly as it turns, screaming loudly before swallowing players with its massive maw.
6 It Lurks In The Darkness
Being in the ocean at night is terrifying enough, but imagine bobbing around down in the darkness when you know there’s a gigantic super-predator out there. Juveniles of this beast can be found cruising around in the silty shallows, but if you want to play with the big boys then you need to head to The Void. A good tip is to bring a strong vehicle like The Cyclops, not only can it withstand high temperatures and pressure, it can also soak up a lot of damage.
In this pitch-black abyss, the real monsters slowly cruise. It’s incredibly terrifying to think you’re alone down there in the inky blackness, zipping along with the spotlights illuminating the void, only to hit the sonar and see it ping off this creature’s massive body and jaws just a few feet away.
5 Its Body Is Mostly Tentacles
The designs of the various creatures lurking in the deeps of Subnautica are all incredible and they really nail the strange and alien look of creatures from another world. Whilst some are more complicated than others, the Gargantuan Leviathans design is neat yet spine-tingling.
At its front is a gigantic mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth, the rest of its body is a long curling mass surrounded by tentacles making it a confusing twirling ball of death that can give off some eery Lovecraftian vibes at times.
4 There’s More Than One Of Them
Most Leviathans tend to spawn sporadically throughout specific areas in the map, juveniles tend to be the most common whilst adults usually roam around alone or in groups of two in the case of the Ghost Leviathans in The Grand Reef.
However, since the Gargantuan Leviathan is a mod in development it spawns quite a number of them. Even at the Juvenile end of the spectrum, these beasts are massive and with multiple appearing in one location it can get a little crowded with all the swirling tentacles. Currently, the adults spawn in the deepest part of the map, so bring plenty of Oxygen if you plan on paying these giants a visit.
3 It Could Become More Terrifying
The Leviathan designs in Subnautica that were made by the developers are pretty terrifying and the mod team has outdone themselves in making something truly monstrous for those alien depths.
As the mod has gone on since it was first created, the abilities of this monster beneath the waves have only gotten stronger and more diverse. With continued development still planned before the mod pack finally goes public, no doubt this will become a boss-tier creature that could cause some serious scares to unprepared swimmers.
2 It’s Not Friendly
Whilst there are large fish in Subnautica that are friendly, such as the aptly named Cuddlefish or the majority of the herbivores like the Boomerang or Bladderfish, there are still hostile swimmers in those seas to contend with. The Leviathans for the most part tend to be aggressive.
The Gargantuan Leviathan is just the same as its smaller relatives, although you can get pretty close to this massive beast, once it notices you’re there it immediately goes on the attack. So try to keep your distance.
1 The Tentacles Can Grab You
One of the most terrifying moments of meeting a Leviathan in Subnautica is the moment it rushes at you and attacks. The sheer size of their massive jaws is enough to make any seasoned diver freeze up in fright. Each one has its own preferred method with some being more brutal than the others.
For example, the Reaper Leviathan will rip players out of their protective suits or subs before swallowing them whole. The Gargantuan’s preferred method is to try and swallow you whole with its massive mouth, whilst easy to avoid its trailing tentacles can still grab the Cyclops and the Sea Moth easily and swing them around like toys, lining them up for a big bite from those huge jaws.
NEXT: Subnautica: Things To Do After You Beat The Game
