To unlock Quantum Drones in Slime Rancher 2, you must first find a Ghostly Drone floating around your Conservatory expansions (Archway, Den, and Gulley), interact with it to get a Drone Station Module, then craft a Quantum Drone Station at the Fabricator using 100 Flutter Plorts, 15 Lava Dust, 15 Wild Honey, 3 Strange Diamonds, 1 Drone Station Module, and 5,000 Newbucks. Once crafted, these automated helpers can collect plorts, feed slimes, and gather resources across Rainbow Island, revolutionizing your ranching experience.
| Quick Reference | Details |
|---|---|
| First Step | Find Ghostly Drone in Conservatory expansions |
| Crafting Location | Fabricator in The Lab |
| Total Cost | 100 Flutter Plorts, 15 Lava Dust, 15 Wild Honey, 3 Strange Diamonds, 5,000 Newbucks |
| Modes Available | Rancher Mode (Conservatory), Explorer Mode (Wild) |
| Fuel Source | Any type of Plort |
| Max Per Expansion | 4 Quantum Drones |
After three years in Early Access, Slime Rancher 2's version 1.0 "A Hero in Time" update finally brings Quantum Drones to Rainbow Island, featuring upgraded capacities that surpass the original game's automation systems. These aren't your typical drones – they use teleportation technology to instantly reach any location, making them incredibly efficient for both ranch management and resource collection.
Contents
The journey to automation begins with locating a mysterious Ghostly Drone. A guaranteed Ghostly Drone can be found in the first set of Conservatory expansions (Archway, Den, and Gulley), floating between these areas and occasionally stopping for a few seconds. These ethereal, translucent drones phase in and out of visibility, so patience is key.
Pro Tip: Keep running circles around these three expansion areas. The Ghostly Drone moves randomly but will eventually appear. Listen for a subtle humming sound that indicates one is nearby.
Some drones can also be found floating around the world — particularly in the Grey Labyrinth's Terrarium section. While exploring the deeper parts of the Grey Labyrinth, keep an eye out for these floating helpers as they can save you time searching around your ranch.
When you interact with a Ghostly Drone, you'll obtain a Drone Station Module. This is the crucial component that unlocks the Quantum Drone Station blueprint at your Fabricator. Each module allows you to craft one drone station, so you'll need to find multiple Ghostly Drones if you want several automation helpers.
Flutter Plorts are by far the most resource-intensive requirement. Flutter slimes spawn in the pink side of Starlight Strand and will only eat the sweet but fleeting moondew nectar that grows in the wilds of Rainbow Island. Here's your farming strategy:
Finding Flutter Slimes:
Collecting Moondew Nectar: Large blue flowers will appear on trees and glow in the dark — this is where you can harvest Moondew Nectar. Only go to Starlight Strand at night to search. The nectar spawns on glowing blue flowers attached to trees, rocks, and structures throughout the area.
Efficient Farming Method: Since Moondew Nectar cannot be grown in gardens, I recommend creating Flutter-Honey Largos. This way, your Flutter hybrids can eat fruit (which you can farm), making plort production much more sustainable. Feed them their favorite food for double plort production!
The lava area in Ember Valley is the only spot a player can find this resource. Look around the hardened lava pits, and inside the Batty Gordo cave to have any chance of harvesting the flowing molten goo.
Best Farming Route:
Wild Honey is a common Slime Science Resource, located only in the Starlight Strand. They can be found in the striped beehives, not to be confused with the hives that produce Buzz Wax.
Identification Tips:
The best path to farm Strange Diamonds is located in Ember Valley. If you take the time to check the Northwestern cave and the Batty Gordo cave, you will find about 5–7 nodes.
Guaranteed Location: There is one location in Slime Rancher 2 where a single Strange Diamond is guaranteed to spawn once every playthrough. This spot is the cave blocked by the Boom Gordo of the Ember Valley.
Additional Farming Spots:
Important: You'll need the Resource Harvester upgrade to collect Strange Diamonds and other resources!
Once you have all resources:
Rancher Mode, when placed on the Conservatory, allows drones to automate slime care, gardening, and clean up by completing programmed tasks.
Programming Options:
Optimization Tips:
Explorer Mode, when placed out in the wilds, tasks drones with harvesting resources across Rainbow Island. Players will have immediate access to these gathered resources via the new Quantum Cloud inventory.
Strategic Placement:
The Quantum Cloud System: Items stored in the Quantum Cloud can be withdrawn to your inventory, sold on the Market, or sent to the Refinery directly from the Quantum Cloud at stations. This revolutionary storage system means resources collected anywhere instantly become available everywhere!
Quantum Drones operate on a battery system fueled by Plorts that ranges from 0% - 100% indicated by a green bar with an overcharging feature which lets them have up to 1000% which is indicated by a golden bar.
Plort Efficiency Guide:
With the ability to place up to 4 Quantum Drones per expansion, you can create sophisticated automation chains:
Example Setup - The Plort Pipeline:
The Strange Diamond Operation:
Position drones at the edges of your Conservatory expansions in Explorer Mode to gather nearby wild resources while staying close to home. This works especially well near the beach area where Deep Brine spawns regularly.
Too many drones competing to execute the same task can cause them to freeze. Avoid programming multiple drones with identical tasks in the same area. Instead, divide responsibilities clearly or use different target categories.
Veterans of the original Slime Rancher will notice significant upgrades:
Teleportation Technology: Unlike pathfinding drones, Quantum versions teleport directly to targets Explorer Mode: Completely new feature for wild resource gathering Quantum Cloud: Shared storage system accessible from any drone station Higher Capacity: Up to 4 drones per expansion (vs 2 in the original) Visual Upgrades: More expressive animations and interactions
Strange though, tech like this shouldn't be possible. Unless… The lore suggests these drones utilize Rainbow Island's mysterious quantum properties, tying into the larger narrative about the island's ancient technology.
Morning (6:00 AM - 12:00 PM):
Afternoon (12:00 PM - 6:00 PM):
Evening (6:00 PM - 12:00 AM):
When starting your drone journey, prioritize resources in this order:
Explorer Mode drones excel during dangerous weather events. While storms might keep you indoors, your drones continue gathering weather-specific resources like Storm Glass and Lightning Motes without risk.
Use multiple drones to control plort flow to the market:
Drones complement other gadgets perfectly:
Join the official Slime Rancher 2 Discord for real-time discussions about drone strategies and to share your automation setups with other ranchers.
Visit the official Slime Rancher website for the latest patch notes and updates about drone functionality.
The Slime Rancher subreddit features daily discussions about optimization strategies and creative drone uses.
Check the Slime Rancher Wiki for detailed technical specifications and community-discovered tips.
For video tutorials and visual guides, the official Monomi Park YouTube channel provides developer insights into drone mechanics.
Drones Not Moving:
Quantum Cloud Not Syncing:
Ghostly Drone Not Spawning:
For smooth drone operation:
With focused farming, expect 3-5 hours from starting the game to your first drone. The biggest time investment is gathering 100 Flutter Plorts, which alone can take 2-3 hours depending on your Moondew Nectar luck.
No! Quantum Drones always return to their stations when idle or low on power. The teleportation technology prevents them from getting stuck or wandering off.
With proper exploration and module collection, you can theoretically have unlimited drone stations. However, you can deploy up to four Quantum Drones in a single ranch expansion, compared to the limit of two for standard drones in the original game.
Yes! Different Plorts give different battery values, ranging from 7% to 22% when under or equal to 100%, with Prisma plorts providing the highest charge value.
Absolutely! This is one of Explorer Mode's best features. Drones continue gathering weather-specific resources while you stay safe indoors.
Yes! Since you need 100 Flutter Plorts and Moondew Nectar can't be farmed, creating Flutter-Honey Largos that eat fruit is the most sustainable approach. You can discard them after getting enough plorts if desired.
Yes, drone stations can be picked up and relocated using Build Mode (T key on PC). This flexibility lets you optimize placement as your ranch evolves.
Drones can be placed anywhere on the map, including the Grey Labyrinth! This makes them invaluable for collecting rare Labyrinth-exclusive resources.
The team is already hard at work on our next update. The community should expect to see continued development and refinement of Slime Rancher 2 including a host of balances, fixes, and quality of life features, as well as new gameplay content.
Stay tuned for potential drone enhancements in future patches, including:
The path from finding your first Ghostly Drone to running a fully automated ranch is one of Slime Rancher 2's most rewarding progressions. While the initial resource gathering might seem daunting – especially those 100 Flutter Plorts – the payoff is transformative. Imagine returning from a dangerous expedition to find your ranch running perfectly, plorts sold at optimal prices, slimes well-fed, and your Quantum Cloud filled with rare resources.
Start by securing that Resource Harvester upgrade, then begin your search for the elusive Ghostly Drone in your Conservatory expansions. Every rancher's automation journey is unique, but with this guide, you're equipped with everything needed to master the Quantum Drone system.
Remember to check market prices before programming selling routines, experiment with different drone configurations, and don't forget to join the vibrant community discussing strategies online. The 2025 update has revolutionized ranching on Rainbow Island – now it's your turn to experience the quantum leap in ranch automation!
Ready to transform your ranching experience? Bookmark this guide and start hunting for that first Ghostly Drone today. The future of automated ranching awaits, and with Quantum Drones at your command, you'll never look at manual plort collection the same way again.
Happy ranching, and may your drones always stay charged!