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After a colony ship mission goes awry, survive an alien ocean by crafting, building bases and exploring alone or with friends.
Released 14 May 2026
Build Seafloor Bases
Scan Alien Sea Life
Explore Deep-Sea Ruins
Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure set on an all-new alien world, developed by Unknown Worlds. Play alone or with friends in 4-player co-op. Adapt to survive by building custom bases and crafting tools. Explore the unknown to uncover the mysteries hidden within the depths.
Developed by Unknown Worlds Entertainment · Published by Unknown Worlds Entertainment
You are a Pioneer stranded on an alien ocean world after something goes wrong aboard the colony ship CICADA. Its AI insists the mission must continue, while you search the depths for a way to survive and clues to the planet’s mysteries.
Gather resources, craft tools and equipment, and scan creatures and other forms of life. Explore underwater biomes, investigate ruins and distress signals, and build a base to support trips farther from the shallows.
Upgrade your gear to reach new areas, and pilot the Tadpole submersible as you explore. You can play solo or join up to three friends in online co-op; the story and world are planned to expand during Early Access.
Many positive reviews praise the eerie underwater atmosphere, especially the sounds and dark depths that make exploration feel tense and mysterious. Players also enjoy discovering alien environments, building customizable bases, playing together in co-op, and following the story. A recurring criticism is that hostile creatures can attack while players have limited ways to defend themselves or drive them away; some reviewers also find the current Early Access world and content incomplete.
Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure game set on an all-new alien world. It is the next chapter in the Subnautica universe, developed by Unknown Worlds.
Driven from your home by ongoing conflict, Alterra offers you the chance at a new life. 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.
Subnautica 2 is being crafted as a single-player experience that you can optionally play in online co-operative multiplayer with up to three friends. You can choose from four pre-designed characters, with more characters and customization options coming throughout Early Access. Work together to explore long-forgotten ruins and learn to adapt to a planet that might not want you there.
To survive the depths and make this planet your home, you’ll need to utilize all the tools at your disposal. Traverse vibrant and breathtaking biomes with your Tadpole submersible. Design and customize bases to return to when your adventures push you beyond the safety of shallow waters. As Early Access develops, so too will your array of tools, equipment, and vehicles. Upgrades will help push you beyond your boundaries and unlock the secrets of this strange world.
Scan and study a rich world of biodiversity to understand life here. Discover everything from the smallest creatures to towering Leviathans. Experience the wonder, and sometimes danger, lurking around every corner. Every dive is an opportunity to uncover why the ship's AI is so determined to continue the mission and what mysteries lie beneath the surface of this breathtaking new frontier.
Subnautica 2 is an Early Access title in active development. Throughout this journey, we will continuously expand the world with additional biomes, creatures, and craftables, while expanding the narrative. You may encounter bugs, in-development features, and performance issues. Your feedback is the cornerstone of our development process. Join us and help shape the next chapter of the Subnautica universe.
Subnautica 2 is being developed by Unknown Worlds, the studio behind the award-winning Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. Our journey began with the 2003 Half-Life mod Natural Selection, and today we have evolved into a fully remote, globally distributed team spanning from the United States to the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and beyond. Defined by a philosophy of open development and over a decade of community-focused innovation, we invite you to dive back into the depths with a studio dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the survival genre.
| Platforms | Windows |
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| Players | 1–4 |
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| Multiplayer | Subnautica 2 supports single-player and optional online co-op. Official text states online co-operative multiplayer with up to three friends, for a total of 4 players. Steam features list Online Co-op and Cross-Platform Multiplayer. No PvP, local multiplayer, LAN, or drop-in/drop-out support is stated. |
| Multiplayer & mods | Reviews mention multiplayer mods for the first Subnautica and state Subnautica 2 has native co-op built in. No official information here describes mods affecting Subnautica 2 multiplayer. |
| Controller support | Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 1 listed on Steam |
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| Content notices |
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| Website | Official website |
