Subnautica 2 fans have been concerned about the upcoming underwater survival sequel since developer Unknown Worlds' major leadership changes were announced, and now a statement from publisher Krafton seems to suggest its 2025 early access release could be delayed.
Last week, it was revealed that original Subnautica director and Unknown Worlds co-founder Charlie Cleveland is leaving the studio alongside chief executive officer Ted Gill and co-founder Max McGuire. Meanwhile, the CEO of Striking Distance Studios (developer of The Callisto Protocol), Steve Papoutsis, has taken over.
Following concerns, Unknown Worlds released a statement reassuring fans that "nothing has changed with how the game is structured," with it remaining a "single-player first experience" with "no subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass." Furthermore, in a post from Cleveland, the OG game's director described the whole situation as "quite a shock," but added that "we know that the game is ready for early access release and we know you're ready to play it." However, it now sounds like Krafton might not be quite so convinced this is the case.
In a statement sent to Kotaku, a Krafton representative touched on the early access release, noting that "our top priority right now is delivering the best possible version of Subnautica 2 to our fans.
"Following the recent leadership transition, we are in the process of refining our development plans and preparing for an Early Access launch under a more clearly defined vision."
Furthermore, they add that "some adjustments to the schedule may be required." So, no delay has been confirmed, but the company certainly doesn't seem to be opposed to moving the release if it deems it necessary.
The rep says that more details are set to be shared "soon," so hopefully we won't be left in suspense for too long.
In the meantime, be sure to take a look at the best survival games to play today.
