"Subnautica 2" available in Early Access from May 14
Despite adversity, "Subnautica 2" will be released as an Early Access game on May 14. However, it could still be years until the finished game.
(Image: Unknown Worlds Entertainment)
“Welcome aboard, Captain. All systems online”: The successor to the survival hit “Subnautica” and its spin-off “Subnautica: Below Zero” is about to launch into Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S. From May 14, fans of the underwater series can dive into “Subnautica 2,” play initial story missions, and explore the ocean.
The game is not yet complete at this point: later story biomes are still missing, and the story also remains incomplete for now. Features are also likely to be added during the early access phase. Developer Unknown Worlds expects the Early Access phase of “Subnautica 2” to last two to three years.
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They have once again opted for Early Access to shape the team based on community feedback, the developers write on Steam. “Subnautica” and “Subnautica: Below Zero” were also first released in Early Access before the full version was released. The new co-op mode for up to four people, which also works with cross-platform crossplay, is already playable in the early version.
Most Wished-For Game on Steam
According to Unknown Worlds Entertainment, “Subnautica 2” is on the Steam wishlists of 40 million users. The unofficial Steam database SteamDB lists the survival game as number 1 in the platform's wishlist ranking. The interest in the underwater game is therefore huge. Part 1 is considered one of the best survival games ever; the spin-off “Below Zero” was received somewhat mixed by fans.
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The development history of “Subnautica 2” can be described as “dramatic” without great exaggeration: Publisher Krafton surprisingly dismissed the two founders and the CEO of the game studio Unknown Worlds, which the South Korean publisher had bought in 2021, in the summer of 2025. Suspicion quickly arose that it could have been a strategic decision to prevent Unknown Worlds from meeting the conditions for a $250 million earn-out clause. At the same time, Krafton had postponed the Early Access release of “Subnautica 2”.
Studio Head Reinstated
A public mudslinging match followed between Krafton and the former studio heads. In March 2026, the Delaware Court of Chancery (Case No. C.A. No. 2025-0805-LWW) ruled that the CEO of Unknown Worlds, dismissed by publisher Krafton, must get his position back. The dismissal of CEO Ted Gill and the two founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire was unlawful, the court wrote in its reasoning. CEO Gill has since regained operational control of the project.
Those who are sure about “Subnautica 2” should strike early: After the release of version 1.0, the game will become pricier, writes Unknown Worlds. However, it is still unclear at what price “Subnautica 2” will launch into Early Access.
(dahe)
