Some two years after it was confirmed to be in the works, developer Unknown Worlds has given a first look at the eagerly awaited Subnautica 2 – with the underwater survival sequel’s debut trailer having now arrived alongside word it’ll be entering into early access next year.
Subnautica 2 – actually the third game in the acclaimed series, following on from the original 2018 entry and its 2021 standalone expansion Subnautica: Below Zero – was initially teased back in April 2022. It later came in for some controversy when publisher Krafton erroneously announced it would be a multiplayer live-service game.
Fans were unhappy with this seeming departure from earlier entries, and Unknown Worlds (which Krafton acquired in 2021) quickly moved to clear up any confusion – confirming that while Subnautica 2 was multiplayer in as much as it supported co-op for up to four players, there’d be “no season passes, no battle passes, no subscription” and co-op was optional.
In fact, the existence of co-op is pretty much all we’ve learned about Subnautica 2 so far (aside from the appearance of some tantalising screenshots sneakily popped into the first game), so it’s probably not much of a surprise to see the feature teased in the game’s very first trailer – a cinematic in which a diver meets up with a team mate in the depths of an alien ocean, before a enormous creature makes its presence known.
As for when we’ll finally get our hands on Subnautica 2, Krafton previously said it expects the ocean survival series’ next instalment to arrive in the first half of 2025, but today’s reveal wasn’t quite so specific, merely saying it’ll be launching into early access sometime next year. Platforms weren’t announced (beyond the fact it was revealed during today’s Xbox Partner Preview showcase) so expect firmer details before too long.