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Subnautica 2

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Subnautica 2
DeveloperUnknown Worlds Entertainment
PublishersUnknown Worlds Entertainment
Krafton[2]
ComposerBen Prunty
SeriesSubnautica
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platforms
ReleaseMay 14, 2026 (early access)[1]
GenresAction-adventure, survival
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Subnautica 2 is a 2026 action-adventure survival game developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment. It is a sequel to 2018's Subnautica and the third game in the series after 2021's Subnautica: Below Zero. The game was released in early access on May 14, 2026.[1]

Gameplay

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Set on a new planet, Subnautica 2 supports single-player and co-op gameplay with a total of up to four players, the first time multiplayer gameplay is present in the series.[3] A cinematic trailer showed a new vehicle, new creatures and environments and hinted at the introduction of an ocean current mechanic that can drag the player to another area.[4] Players are able to modify their own DNA to acquire abilities, a feature that was originally cut from Subnautica.[5]

Development

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Subnautica 2 was initially confirmed to be in production on April 7, 2022, as "the next game in the Subnautica universe".[6] In November 2023, publisher Krafton revealed in a financial report that it was to be released sometime in 2025.[7] This was followed by another report on February 8, 2024, that described it as a "multiplayer live-service game", creating fan backlash that prompted the developers to clarify that it would have "no season passes, no battle passes, no subscription".[8][9]

The first screenshots of the game were published in 2024, some of which were hidden within Subnautica .[10] A cinematic trailer for the game was released on October 17, 2024, during the Xbox Partner Showcase, with the early access release slated for 2025.[11] On April 23, 2025, the first in a series of dev blogs was posted on YouTube showing new content and early gameplay footage.[12]

Several major changes to the development team of Unknown Worlds Entertainment took place in July 2025 causing a number of lawsuits involving Krafton and the former development leads, with Krafton announcing that the early access release was delayed to 2026. A gameplay trailer was released alongside the delay announcement.[13]

In May 2026, unofficial builds of the game reportedly circulated online. Unknown Worlds Entertainment stated that unauthorized builds had appeared on the internet. Allegations regarding the source of the leak circulated online, though no evidence publicly confirmed the claims.[14]

It released as an early access title, available on PC and Xbox Series X and S in May 2026.[11] Subnautica 2 is made with Unreal Engine 5.[15]

Staff firings and lawsuits

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In July 2025, Krafton announced it had replaced Unknown Worlds' CEO Ted Gill—as well as studio co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire—with Steve Papoutsis. Papoutsis had previously served as executive and senior producer at Striking Distance Studios, the developer of The Callisto Protocol.[16] Following community backlash to the leadership change, Unknown Worlds reiterated that the game would have "no subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass. No microtransactions."[17] Krafton stated that the original leadership were removed as they had abandoned their responsibilities at the studio, leading to significant delays in Subnautica 2's development. Development slides showing content changes were anonymously leaked to the media during July in an apparent attempt to defend the firings and quell a rising playerbase backlash against Krafton.[18]

Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill filed a lawsuit against Krafton related to their firings that same month. It had come to light that the firings and delayed release had come months before Krafton was due to pay the development team a bonus worth up to US$250 million based on revenue targets that a release into Early Access would have helped achieve.[19] The lawsuit revealed that the plan to avoid the payout was created through the use of ChatGPT by Krafton's CEO, Changhan Kim, after their legal team had warned him that the payout had to be made even if Cleveland, Gill, and McGuire were dismissed with cause.[20]

In March 2026, a judge reinstated Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds.[21][22] The judge found that Krafton had "breached the EPA (Equity Purchase Agreement) by terminating the key employees without valid cause and by improperly seizing operational control of Unknown Worlds".[21] As a result, the board decision on July 1—at which Krafton fired the founders, took over control of Unknown Worlds and delayed Subnautica 2—has been "declared ineffective to the extent it infringes on Gill's operational control right".[21] Furthermore, the $250 million earnout period was reintroduced until September 15, 2026, with the option to be extended until March 15, 2027.[22]

On March 18, 2026, it was announced that the game would be released in early access in May 2026.[1] However, the reinstated Unknown Worlds' leadership team claimed that the news was improperly released by Krafton and "undermined the relief sought" for in the trial, which was for Gill to determine when and how the game is to be released. Krafton insisted that their announcement did not violate the order or show contempt.[23]

Reception

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The game sold more than 1 million copies within its first hour of launch.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Valentine, Rebekah (March 17, 2026). "Subnautica 2 Will Finally Enter Early Access in May Following Year of Delays and Legal Drama". IGN. Archived from the original on March 21, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  2. ^ Manchester, Austin (April 30, 2026). "Subnautica 2 finally has a confirmed release date after months of messy drama". Polygon. Retrieved April 30, 2026. Gallegos confirmed to Polygon that Krafton is still, in fact, involved with bringing Subnautica 2 to market. "We're co-publishing it together," he said.
  3. ^ Hannah, Zoë (October 17, 2024). "Subnautica 2 will include multiplayer and take place on a new planet". Polygon. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  4. ^ McLarney, Andrew (October 20, 2024). "New Features Shown In Subnautica 2's Reveal Trailer". Game Rant. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Ozoa, Enricko (October 23, 2024). "Subnautica 2 Takes Survival to The Next Level With One Feature". Game Rant. Retrieved October 25, 2024.
  6. ^ Grimshaw, Jack (April 10, 2022). "'Subnautica' sequel in development at Unknown Worlds". NME. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  7. ^ Livingston, Christopher (November 21, 2023). "The next Subnautica game is coming in 2025". PC Gamer. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  8. ^ Zwiezen, Zack (February 8, 2024). "Subnautica 2 Devs Quickly Clarify That, No, It's Not A Live-Service Thing". Kotaku. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
  9. ^ Wales, Matt (October 17, 2024). "Subnautica 2 gets first trailer, and it's launching into early access next year". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  10. ^ Robertson, Joshua (July 29, 2024). "Subnautica Devs Are Sneaking Sequel Screenshots Into Time Capsules". TheGamer. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Bailey, Dustin (October 17, 2024). "Subnautica 2, the third Subnautica game, hits early access in 2025 and finally brings multiplayer to the survival game series". gamesradar. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Makar, Connor (April 23, 2025). "Subnautica 2 kicks off its road to early access with its first dev vlog, diving into co-op and new features". VG247. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  13. ^ "Unknown Worlds / An Update On Subnautica 2 Early Access". unknownworlds.com. Retrieved July 10, 2025.
  14. ^ https://www.ign.com/articles/subnautica-2-gameplay-appears-to-have-leaked-just-days-after-forza-horizon-6-and-lego-batman
  15. ^ Ratcliff, James (October 17, 2024). "Subnautica 2 Announced, Has 4-Player Co-Op". Game Rant. Retrieved October 18, 2024.
  16. ^ Gerblick, Jordan (July 1, 2025). "In a massive shakeup, Subnautica creators and Unknown Worlds co-founders have been replaced by The Callisto Protocol studio CEO months before Subnautica 2's early access launch". GamesRadar+. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  17. ^ "Unknown Worlds / A Letter To Our Community". unknownworlds.com. Retrieved July 9, 2025.
  18. ^ Parrish, Ash (July 10, 2025). "Krafton slams ex-Subnautica 2 execs — who now say they're suing". The Verge. Retrieved July 12, 2025.
  19. ^ Blake, Vikki (July 11, 2025). "Ousted Subnautica 2 Leadership 'Files Lawsuit' Against Parent Company Krafton as Row Over $250M Bonus Gets Personal". IGN. Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  20. ^ Taylor, Josh (March 18, 2026). "Subnautica 2 publisher's CEO used ChatGPT in failed bid to avoid paying US$250m bonus to own studio head, court hears". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  21. ^ a b c Gach, Ethan (March 16, 2026). "Judge Orders Subnautica 2 Studio CEO Reinstated Amid Lawsuit". Kotaku. Archived from the original on March 16, 2026. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  22. ^ a b Schreier, Jason (March 13, 2026). "Judge Says Krafton Must Rehire Fired 'Subnautica' CEO". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
  23. ^ Totilo, Stephen. "New dispute emerges around Subnautica 2's early access release [Update]". www.gamefile.news. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  24. ^ Bardhan, Ashley (May 15, 2026). "Subnautica 2 has already sold 1 million copies and it's been out for literally one hour". GamesRadar. Retrieved May 15, 2026.
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