Originally confirmed to be in development in 2022, it has been a long and winding road for Subnautica 2, but the end is almost here. The long-awaited game is finally set to release on May 14 for PC and Xbox Series into Early Access. Subnautica 2 is a survival crafting game in which you can play alone or with friends on a hostile alien planet covered in water. Discover georgous biomes, contend with docile and threatening creatures alike, and craft everything from bases to vehicles to help you survive.
As an Early Access title, Subnautica 2 will remain a work in progress, even after you dive in. This means players should plan for and expect some amount of bugs and technical issues along the way, but this also means player feedback will probably be part of the process to craft an enjoyable experience for all. The game development had complications, including a very public falling out with publisher Krafton, so I think most players at this point are just happy to see the game released in any state.
Developer Unknown Worlds spoke on this, explaining:
We make our best games when you are involved from the start. The earlier you play, the faster we hear what you want. This is how we have historically built our games. By involving you in the development process and iterating on your feedback, we build better games.
Subnautica 2 is currently available for both preorder and preload right now on both Steam and Xbox Series consoles, with it being a day one with Game Pass title. The game is also available to pre-purchase on the Epic Game Store. Currently, there is no word on a PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2 version, though both are likely. Estimates have placed Subnautica 2 as remaining in early access for a 2-3 year period, so additional versions might not arrive for a while
Subnautica 2 Global Release Times:
Thursday, May 14, 2026:
PDT (San Francisco):
- 8 am
CST (Mexico City):
- 9 am
CDT (Chicago):
- 10 am
EDT (New York):
- 11 am
BST (London):
- 4 pm
CEST (Paris):
- 5 pm
CST (Beijing):
- 11 pm
Friday, May 15, 2026:
JST (Tokyo):
- 12 am midnight
AEST (Sydney):
- 1 am
NZST (Wellington):
- 3 am
As a thank you for the title, accumulating a whopping 5 million wishlists on Steam, all players will be getting a Reaper Leviathan Statue blueprint. Though this was originally stated to be a gift only receivable during the first week, that is no longer the case.
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