Subnautica: Below Zero: How to make Benzene

In the original Subnautica, one of the most iconic pieces of gameplay was the Prawn Suit grappling from one rock to another. Players could equip two of these grappling arms to act like Tarzan swinging from tree to tree. 

In Below Zero, this mechanic is back, and naturally, players want to know how to craft the grappling arm once again. You’ll need some fairly common materials, being titanium, lithium, silver, etc. to build the arm once you acquire the blueprint for it. However, you’ll also need benzene, something that not’s so common. 

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to acquire this resource if you know where to look. 

Crafting benzene in Subnautica: Below Zero

The key ingredient to making benzene. (Picture: Unknown Worlds)

The ingredients to make benzene are one ribbon plant and two flower spores. Ribbon plants are found fairly commonly in the starting biome of Twisty Bridges but if you’re having a hard time locating them, check out our guide for where to find the plants. 

The other ingredient is a flower spore, which is not so readily found. Instead, players will need to descend to a depth that won’t be accessible until the middle of the game. 

• Read more: Subnautica: Below Zero - All leviathans and where to find them

Once you’ve reached that point, you can begin looking for the flower spores, which are only found in the Deep Lilypads Cave. This biome’s depth ranges from 320-630 meters, so you’ll need some kind of vehicle to get there. Once you’re in the biome though, look for vines that hold red spores on them. 

A flower spore in Subnautica: Below Zero. (Picture: Unknown Worlds)

If you’ve managed to find them, go up to them, interact with the spore, and you’ll have a flower spore and the blueprint for benzene, which becomes available after you’ve picked your first spore. 

After you have enough, head back to a fabricator, turn two flower spores and a ribbon plant into benzene, and you have some of what you need for a Prawn Suit grappling arm.

• Read more: Subnautica Below Zero: Where to find every creature egg

For all the latest news and guides for everyone's favourite underwater survival game (is there any others? Answers on a postcard) check out our dedicated Subnautica section.