Following yesterday's first reveal of Subnautica 2, developer Unknown Worlds has dropped some hints about what players can expect when the underwater survival adventure launches in Early Access next year. Multiplayer and “multiple biomes” support will be present from day one, but there's plenty of time to evolve given that early access is expected to last “around 2 to 3 years.”
Subnautica 2 (which will be the third entry in the Unknown World series, following its original 2018 expansion and 2021's standalone expansion Subnautica: Below Zero) was initially teased in April 2022, and its big new feature was co-op mode for up to four. players.
Subnautica 2's briefly controversial multiplayer mode received some attention in this week's debut trailer, which features two divers working together to explore the ocean depths of an alien planet. However, Unknown Worlds has now revealed a little more about what players can expect when the game launches next year.
“You are a pioneer who travels to a distant world, but something is wrong,” the studio advances in a listing recently published on Steam. “The ship's AI insists that you continue with the mission. This world is too dangerous for humans to survive… Unless you change what it means to be human. What creatures, intelligent or not, await your arrival?”
Subnautica 2 continues the series' nautical survival tradition, but this time it takes place on an entirely new alien ocean planet. It will see players explore everything from towering underwater cliffs to lush coral fields, all with their own diverse ecosystems and unique creatures. “But something is not right,” adds Unknown Worlds. “The world is out of balance. What happened here? What happened to you? And, more importantly, where are you?”
In addition to multiplayer, Subnautica 2 promises a “revamped building system” and “new tools [that] allow for greater adaptation to the world.” But as for what will be included when Early Access begins next year, Unknown Worlds is touting a “multiplayer mode, multiple biomes, some narrative, and a variety of creatures and craftables.” initial offering will expand with “more biomes, creatures, craftables, features and narratives” as development continues.
Players thinking about waiting for Subnautica 2's full 1.0 release might be waiting a while, however, as Unknown Worlds says it currently expects the game to be in early access development for “around 2 to 3 years.” There are a “series of goals” that it is “firmly working toward,” and the studio is focusing on “delivering quality at a reasonable pace.”
Subnautica 2 doesn't have a release date yet, but it will be available through Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox Series X/S when Early Access begins in 2025.