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Subnautica 2 is out May 14 in early access on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox (included in Game Pass), developer Unknown Worlds announced.
"Driven from your home by ongoing conflict, Alterra offers you the chance at a new life," reads the early access trailer description. "But as the colony ship CICADA shepherds you and your fellow Pioneers to your new home, something goes awry. The ship’s AI insists that your mission should continue. Stranded and faced with near-insurmountable odds, you must do everything in your power to survive. The future of humanity on this world is in your hands."
This trailer puts a day to a previous tease for a May launch. It also follows a messy legal battle between Unknown Worlds and corporate owner Krafton – which has totally vanished as publisher on every store page for the game – that saw the studio's founders ousted only for CEO Ted Gill to be reinstated via court order.
Article continues belowKrafton said earlier this month that it "is currently focused on successfully supporting the Early Access launch of Subnautica 2. We have nothing further to share at this time." The company did not clarify its publishing role in Subnautica 2 going forward.
Developers from Unknown Worlds told Eurogamer today that Krafton is "not not the publisher anymore," as the two are still co-publishing the game.
Subnautica 2 is expected to stay in early access for "2 to 3 years," according to its Steam blurb.
"We have a number of goals that we are adamantly working towards," says Unknown Worlds. "We are focusing on delivering quality at a reasonable pace. At the end of the day, we're dedicated to completing Subnautica 2 and making it the best game possible.”
The final version of the game will, as expected, include more, and more polished, content, from biomes and creatures to items and narrative beats. Co-op, a major feature for the sequel, will also surely be polished on a technical and mechanical level, though multiplayer mode will be available from day one.
