Subnautica 2 is coming our way this year, with its Early Access launch set for 2026.
While we're still awaiting a concrete release date for the underwater survival adventure after it was delayed out of 2025, developer Unknown Worlds recently dropped another update which gave us a look at the optional co-op that will let us get stuck in with friends.
Subnautica 2 release date delay
Currently, Subnautica 2 is now currently expected to release in Early Access sometime in 2026.
Originally slated to arrive in 2025, a report initially surfaced from Bloomberg in early July that suggested it had been pushed into 2026. This came after some big shakeups within the development team, which saw the original Subnautica creators and Unknown Worlds co-founders get replaced by the Callisto Protocol studio CEO.
Following this news, word from Krafton later came that the Early Access schedule might need some adjustments, despite the former lead saying it was ready, before the publisher ultimately officially confirmed the delay into 2026, citing that "there are a few areas where we needed to improve before launching the first version of Subnautica 2 to the world".
Krafton also denied that the delay has anything to do "any contractual or financial consideration", and stated that the move to 2026 was being discussed before the changes at Unknown Worlds were made. The legal drama has only continued since, with the ex-developers alleging that Krafton changed "it's story mid-litigation about why it fired the founders, following earlier reports claiming previous leadership were pushing to release an unfinished game. Currently, though, nothing further has surfaced to suggest a change of plans, and Subnautica 2 is still thought to be on track to arrive sometime next year.
Prior to the delay, we got a devblog which detailed that the game is considered to be the team's "biggest" and "most ambitious Subnautica game" yet. Players were also invited to provide feedback once they get their hands on the game as development is planned to continue during the Early Access period as well -- which will likely still apply for its 2026 launch.
While we await further news on the release date, you can also read our Subnautica review if you want a recap of the first alien outing.
Subnautica 2 platforms
Subnautica 2 is set to arrive on PC and Xbox Series X/S once it launches in Early Access.
Sadly, there's no news on any PS5 support just yet, and there's also no Switch 2 news on whether fans can expect the game to come to the new-gen console among the lineup of upcoming Switch 2 games. However, that doesn't mean that we'll never see the title on those platforms in the future.
The first Subnautica became available on both PS5 and Nintendo Switch eventually. And since both also support Unreal Engine 5 (which Subnautica 2 is being developed with), there's still hope for a future announcement regarding additional platforms for the new game. Stay tuned for updates!
Subnautica 2 trailer
The first Subnautica 2 trailer came in the form of a short teaser that was revealed during the October 2024 Xbox Partner Showcase.
In the trailer, which you can watch above, we see two humans in the deep – reminding us all that the new game will be multiplayer! The clip also shows off a player piloting what looks to be a Prawn Suit. Finally, we also see what looks to be a new Leviathan as a large tentacle monster with a purple glowing head revealed itself towards the end of the teaser.
Most recently, we've also gotten to see a short gameplay trailer that came along with an update on Early Access, with a narrator revealing that we'll "sleep through 14 years of flight" to our new home.
Subnautica 2 story and setting
In Subnautica 2, you'll be exploring a new ocean-based alien world and following a brand-new story. According to a description on the Steam store page for the game, you'll play as a "pioneer traveling to a distant world." Soon, though, you find that something is very wrong after your ship's AI starts insisting you carry on a mysterious mission.
It turns out that this new world is too dangerous for humans to survive in, so you'll have to "change what it means to be human." That statement sounds pretty ominous if you ask us, and considering how the first Subnautica had you infected with an alien virus and Subnautica: Below Zero has you sharing a brain with an alien AI until you build it a new body, we aren't surprised that something will likely be messing about with your human body or DNA in Subnautica 2.
In a Subnautica 2 dev blog, senior narrative designer Seth Dickinson, level designer Artyom O'Rielly, and senior environment artist Ben Hale spoke on the "building unknown worlds" for the upcoming sequel, with Dickinson introducing the new world the team are creating as a "place of constant change, where the sea is alive and hungry, the rules of evolution are different, and alien DNA seeps into your bones. Here, you might be the last human being in the universe, or the first member of something new." How intriguing.
O'Rielly also shows off some of the rocky terrain and tools being used to create the world, which is "entirely hand-crafted". Another story point that we know about the upcoming game is that we are getting a silent protagonist once again, departing from Below Zero's very talkative hero.
Subnautica 2 gameplay
Like the rest of the Subnautica games, Subnautica 2 will be a survival game where you'll have to explore the depths of an alien ocean, gather material, craft upgrades, and try to survive. You'll be scanning ruins to unlock new vehicles and other equipment to assist in managing your needs, as well as to help you progress further into the deep.
Subnautica 2 will have a story that you'll be following as you build up your underwater base and try to avoid all the monstrous Leviathan creatures eyeing you like a tasty snack. While we don't know much about the story yet, we do know that it will involve your human DNA and possibly finding secrets that can help you alter it in order to survive in harsh alien waters. We'll keep you posted as more details about this new story and its potential impact on gameplay mechanics head our way.
According to the description of Subnautica 2, exploration will also be a key part of the upcoming game as you'll be uncovering and logging new "diverse biomes" and creatures. Through scanning the terrain and animals around you, you'll find information to assist you in the story, as well as goals for upgrades that can help you expand or customise your underwater bases. The building system of Subnautica has reportedly gone through a massive overhaul, so expect base building to be a bigger star in the new game too.
A big new gameplay feature for Subnautica 2 is the fact that it will feature co-op. Previous entries in the series have all been single-player affairs, throwing us into a foreign ocean all by our lonesome. In the upcoming title, there will be up to four-player cooperative gameplay for you and a group of buddies.
Subnautica 2 will also introduce a new deep-sea predator in the Collector Leviathan. As the first hostile leviathan, with behavior that's powered by Unreal Engine 5 AI, it's said to react to light and sound, as well as your actions in real time. With fully simulated tentacle animations, a dev vlog video, which you can see below, goes into more detail about the making of the new foe - who can use shockwave attacks and possesses a "terrifying roar".
Will Subnautica 2 be multiplayer?
Yes! For the first time in Subnautica's history, we are getting the option to play with our friends in Subnautica 2. The upcoming game will support up to four-player co-op, and cross-play has also been confirmed. That means that PC and Xbox players will be able to game together without a care in the world… well, apart from surviving multiple Leviathans, maybe.
In the trailer, we saw two survivors swimming together on the new alien planet. Still, we haven't seen any clips of actual co-op gameplay just yet. However, it should be noted that even with this gameplay addition, Subnautica 2 can still be played solo if you want that feeling of isolation that's so prevalent in the first game.
Unknown Worlds also released a dev blog (which you can watch above) diving into the multiplayer side of things, detailing how you can play in first-person or third-person together, across multiple platforms, with one dev mentioning that he often plays it on his Steam Deck. We also see a dive elevator which you can use with friends to go down to the depths. You can also attach what you find onto the elevator to sent it back up to the water's surface.
The team also explains that they've set out to make it very easy to start a multiplayer session in Subnautica 2, with options to convert a single-player to multiplayer and continue your solo game with others, or you can start a new multiplayer game fresh. You can also invite friends via your chosen platform's friends list, or use Subnautica 2's own friends list which allows you to invite cross-platform players.
In the meantime, check out our list of the best co-op games of all time if you are after a new outing with your mates.
Subnautica 2 development
Subnautica 2 is in development from the same studio that worked on the original adventure, Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
In an official press release, publisher Krafton confirmed, however, that's there's been a big leadership change.
Steve Papoutsis, who directed Dead Space 3 and served as producer on Dead Space 2 has now been appointed CEO of Unknown worlds, and will "oversee the studios overall management and creative direction".
"Papoutsis replaces the previous leadership team — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — effective immediately," the official press release statement reads. "While Krafton sought to keep the Unknown Worlds' co-founders and original creators of the Subnautica series involved in the game's development, the company wishes them well on their next endeavors."
"Importantly, Krafton is confident that Papoutsis, with decades of experience behind the planning, development, and production of some of the highest-rated game franchises, will bring renewed energy and momentum to delivering the long-anticipated Subnautica 2 experience to fans."
Cleveland later addressed the "shock dismissal", saying that, "I want you to know that whatever happens to the founders, to the team and to the game, our priority is, and has always been, to make the best damned game we can for the best community in the world."
Not long after news of a leadership change in 2025, reports that the original director was actually suing the parent company surfaced. The community expressed their worries in the wake of these developments, but Unknown Worlds later addressed some of these concerns in a statement confirming there will be "no subscriptions, no lootboxes", and "no battle pass", alongside reaffirming it will remain a single-player first experience.
For more future releases, check out our lists of all the upcoming Xbox Series X games and new PC games heading our way.
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