Subnautica 2

Subnautica 2 is the third game in the underwater survival series from Unknown Worlds Entertainment. It is the direct successor to the cult original from 2018 and the 2021 spin-off Below Zero. The studio moved from Unity to Unreal Engine 5, which brings a major step up in the scale of the biomes and in the look of the ocean. Unknown Worlds has been owned by the Korean company Krafton since 2021, but the studio has kept its independence and creative direction, and Unknown Worlds is listed as the only publisher on the Steam page.

The main new feature, which fans had been waiting for since 2014, is online co-op for up to 4 players, with the option to join and leave at any moment. Both previous Subnautica games were strictly single-player; here co-op is built in as a core mode rather than added on top. Playing alone is still possible. Multiplayer is cross-play: Steam and Xbox Series X|S are connected through a peer-to-peer connection. Instead of a character creator, there are 4 ready-made survivors from the ship CICADA.

The story takes place on Proteus, an ocean moon of a gas giant in a binary star system 20,000 light-years from Earth. This is an entirely new planet, not a return to 4546B from the first game. The Alterra colony ship CICADA was carrying 40,000 people to the planet Zezura, but its AI redirected it to Proteus. Exploring the new world means moving through an ever-growing vertical range of depths, building modular bases, and working through the scanner and fabricator cycle.

Early Access launches with a complete gameplay loop: exploring Proteus, base building, 4 characters, and cross-play multiplayer. New mechanics include biomods (an extension of the scanner system), Rot infection (a new dangerous biome), and spaceship wrecks. The only vehicle at launch is the Tadpole, in two variants: the Scout Ray for exploration and the Haul Rig for transporting resources. Spiritual successors to the Cyclops, Seamoth, and Prawn Suit are planned for later updates and are not in the game at the Early Access release.

In its first 12 hours the game sold 2 million copies, and in two weeks it reached 4 million. On Steam it has "Very Positive" reviews (about 99,000 ratings). The team patches the game actively: Hotfix 1 came out on May 19, and Hotfix 2 on May 22 with 11 fixes. In an open letter to the community, Unknown Worlds acknowledged mistakes in communication and clarified the roadmap. The full release is planned for roughly 2028 to 2029.

Buying an Early Access key means buying the full game: the Unknown Worlds model, like Larian's with Baldur's Gate 3, means one price with no extra payments. Steam warns that the price will rise when the game leaves Early Access. Updates come out every 2 to 3 months. The first confirmed is the Frozen Depths biome, followed by new Leviathan-class creatures and successor submarines.

The Russian interface and subtitles are included (an official Russian voice-over is not planned, since Unknown Worlds did not release one for Subnautica 1 or Below Zero). For the most affordable option by price, check the regions block.

Subnautica 2 is the sequel to the cult underwater survival adventure from Unknown Worlds. It now has online co-op for up to 4 players, which is exactly what the community had asked for over more than 7 years. A new planet, new biomes and creatures, cross-play multiplayer (Steam + Xbox). Early Access from May 14, 2026. The Russian interface and subtitles are available, but there is no official Russian voice-over.