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I read online that Subnautica has a fixed map. However, I've beaten the game and started a new one (both Survival). The map is clearly different. For instance my previous base had a thermal vent right next to it, but in my new game, the lifepod doesn't have any heat areas in proximity. There are other obvious differences in the terrain, wreck location and fragments, etc.

Does the map change randomly or was it changed in an ubdate or something?

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The map is the same for all players, and I don't believe the map has been updated since release. However, the spawn location of your lifepod does vary slightly every time you start a new playthrough. It should always be in the Safe Shallows near the center-ish of the map, but sometimes it's closer or farther from the Aurora or the mountain island. This may throw off your directions at first, but I can verify that the layout of the map has been effectively the same since the Primary Containment Facility update went live during early release. I've built my base in the same place in at least 5 different playthroughs.

Wrecks are also always in the same locations. Fragments are a little more random - specific fragments can only spawn in specific wrecks, but their location within those wrecks is randomized each playthrough as well.

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    I also think the life pod drifts ever so slightly as you progress through the game. It certainly felt that way to me at least.
    – Timmy Jim ♦
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 13:08
  • @TimmyJim I don't think it's supposed to, but yes, it does drift a little bit as the game progresses.
    – Mage Xy
    Commented May 23, 2018 at 14:17
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    @TimmyJim It does drift -- if you don't repair the broken control panel thing, which turns on the "auto anchor" or whatever it's called on that the info screen inside the escape pod. I've had mine drift hundreds of yards or so before I could find a the sulfur powder or whatever it's called to make a repair tool.
    – Tim S.
    Commented Jul 24, 2018 at 13:28
  • Given sets of fragments spawn in randomly chosen 'fragment spawn' locations in biomes specific to these fragments. For example, Safe Shallows and Kelp Forests will spawn seaglide fragments, but you need Floating Isles, Mountains, Crash Zone or Dunes to find Cyclops Engine fragments, all of these similarly nasty (and there are a couple other devices fragments of which spawn within these, so even if you search the moderately nasty Floating Isles and safe shores of the Mountain Island, you're not guaranteed to find any... so Reaper-infested waters it is then!
    – SF.
    Commented Jan 15, 2019 at 12:36
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The map in Subnautica is fixed in terms of the overall layout of the biomes, major landmarks, and key structures (like the Aurora, islands, and the Primary Containment Facility.) This is constant across all playthroughs. However, there are several elements within the game that have some variability:

Lifepod Spawn Location

While the lifepod will always spawn in the Safe Shallows, its exact location varies within this biome. This slight variation can affect your initial surroundings and proximity to other biomes. In fact, players have cited favorite spawn locations (mine is above the large coral tubes because they contain a lot of glass.)

Resources and Fragment Distribution

Wrecks also have a fixed location, but the specific fragments and resources you find within them are subject to some randomness. This means the exact layout of items you encounter can change between playthroughs, affecting your scavenging experience. Before I noticed that fragments were distributed differently, I experienced some frustration finding specific fragments on my second playthrough.

Updates and Game Versions

There have not been major map changes since the full release of Subnautica. However, after some updates, I did notice some minorly adjusted layout. Also, IIRC, the interior of the Aurora seems to have changed considerably. I must stress that this is related to updates. If you played during early access and then again post-release and after subsequent updates, these changes might be noticeable.

Minor Details

Within biomes, certain environmental features (like thermal vents or specific types of terrain) might appear slightly different due to some procedural generation of minor details.

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