Slime Rancher 2 has 23 Research Drones spread across five areas: the Conservatory, Rainbow Fields, Starlight Strand, Ember Valley, and Powderfall Bluffs. The landmark index below covers every listed location and keeps the two map pins both labeled “#19” distinct by their descriptions. These are Research Drones—the lore devices—not the separate Ghostly Drones used for ranch automation.
All Research Drone locations by area
The area counts below follow a full-game guide published in February 2023 for version 0.2.0; the landmark index is from the iMaps Rainbow Island map, updated August 31, 2026. The map is a community source, not an official location list. Its coordinates are map coordinates for orienting yourself on that map, not in-game coordinates. Use the landmark description and map pin together.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Slime Rancher 2 - PlayStation 5 | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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| Area | Research Drones |
|---|---|
| Conservatory | 5 |
| Rainbow Fields | 2 |
| Starlight Strand | 6 |
| Ember Valley | 6 |
| Powderfall Bluffs | 4 |
The entries below preserve the map’s displayed sequence rather than claiming a reliable game-world numbering order. For a visual reference, open the iMaps Rainbow Island map and compare its pins with the landmarks.
Conservatory — 5
- On top of the stone arch near a plot.
- On the edge of an island next to a rock.
- On top of a mushroom growing on the side of a cave’s central pillar.
- On a small ledge next to a tree.
- Next to a cliff wall near a Refinery Link and tunnel entrance.
Rainbow Fields — 2
- On a small ledge at the end of a path next to the top of a waterfall.
- On a ledge past a rock arch near a waterfall.
Starlight Strand — 6
- On a small ledge under a tree.
- On a mushroom in the open.
- On a small ledge on top of a cliff next to a rock. The map labels this pin “#19.”
- In the middle of the cave next to a rock and equipment underneath the Flutter Gordo. The map also labels this pin “#19.”
- On a small ledge next to a large cave opening, underground.
- At the end of a side path near the edge of a cliff.
Ember Valley — 6
- On top of the cliff over the tunnel entrance.
- At the edge of the plateau island beside the Ember Valley Teleporter and Tabby Gordo.
- Underground in a cave, on a ledge protruding from a central rock pillar.
- On a ledge up a cliff underneath a large rock overhang.
- Inside the room past a Boom Gordo, on a ruin stone.
- In the open at the edge of a ledge.
Powderfall Bluffs — 4
- On a ledge up a cliff near the tunnel entrance.
- Underground on a small ledge next to a large cave opening.
- Underground in a small alcove off the glowing flower cave.
- On top of a snow pile at the very edge of a ledge over the water.
Finding drones and reading their logs
You can locate a Research Drone without the Drone Archive Key. The key is a Vacpack upgrade for reading archived entries. Community game references say Mochi Miles provides its blueprint after you pop both the Flutter Gordo in Starlight Strand and the Boom Gordo in Ember Valley, then interact with the Research Drones behind them; you can then fabricate the upgrade. The full-area guide by Trophy Tom also has a dedicated Archive Key section.
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The four Powderfall Bluffs drones have no archived second entry, according to community game-reference material. Finding their main logs and decrypting an available archive page are separate tasks.
Research Drones are not Ghostly Drones
Ghostly Drones are a different entity associated with ranch gadgets and automation. Monomi Park’s Ghostly Drone support answer says one drone is shared among the Conservatory’s first three expansions and wanders between them until collected; each of the final two expansions has its own drone, which stays there. That behavior does not describe the 23 Research Drones listed above.
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Map and patch context
The iMaps location page reports 23 Research Drone pins and an August 31, 2026 update, but has a duplicate “Research Drone #19” label. The two pins are therefore identified here by their distinct landmarks instead of treating every displayed number as a unique identifier. Monomi Park’s September 22, 2026 version 1.3.0 “Ranching in Style” notes describe new Sanctuary content and other changes, including a Terrarium correction affecting gadgets and drones’ ability to collect certain resources; they do not describe a Research Drone location change.
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- Build a Conservatory on Rainbow Island: Earn newbucks from slime plots and collect resources on Rainbow Island to upgrade your vacpack, build new gadgets, and expand your conservatory
- Includes a 46 cm x 61 cm (18” x 24”) fold-out poster featuring artwork drawn by Yusuke Naora, former art director for several critically acclaimed Final Fantasy titles, Code Age titles, and Chrono Trigger
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