Subnautica. Perhaps you’ve heard of it before back in 2018 when famous youtubers like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye played the game and released videos on their youtube channels, pushing the game to viral status. It was a beautifully made game that had an amazing formula of controlled dread, as it was a survival game that dropped you in alone in the middle of an alien ocean and left the rest up to you. It quickly grew a following with its well thought through ecology and lore that made the planet seem life-like. Now after seven years, Unknown Worlds has returned with a sequel Subnautica 2. They are releasing Early Access on May 14, 2026 and the path to get here has been rough and bumpy from the get go.
Unlike the previous Subnautica games it doesn’t take place on planet 4546B, but rather a brand new unexplored alien ocean planet. Your role in the game is a crew member that’s aboard Alterra’s CICADA ship, that once again experiences a catastrophic crash that lands them upon this uncharted alien ocean planet.
The main addition to this game is co-op, as this is the first time that multiplayer has been introduced to the video game series, with four players able to play with cross platform support. Additionally, there is a proximity based inventory system that will allow resources to be taken from shared lockers when crafting items. This puts an end to the mindless dashes off to the lockers, to grab the one material that you were missing to craft your item.
Despite this focus on multiplayer, solo play is still fully accessible for those wanting to explore the planet’s terrifying reaches alone. Another fun feature that is being introduced is dynamic ocean currents that are able to pull you down into the depths with little to no warning.
Drama
However, the pathway to get to Early Access hasn’t been as straightforward as it could have been. There was much drama surrounding two companies, Unknown Worlds and their publisher Krafton. In July 2025, Krafton abruptly removed Unknown Worlds’ cofounders, Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gil, and Max McGuire. However, something that people were quick to notice was that Krafton had agreed in their acquisition agreement in 2021 to pay a $250 million bonus if they met certain revenue targets by the end of 2025.
After Krafton’s decision to remove the cofounders, they then delayed the game to 2026 which would have caused Unknown Worlds to miss out on the chance to meet the revenue goals. Obviously Krafton denied these allegations, claiming that the trio of cofounders had abandoned the game and had confidential documents in their possession. Soon after, the lawsuits began in both directions. In March 2026, however, a Delaware court ruled that Krafton had broken its contract and ordered that Ted Gill be reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds. In April 2026, Krafton’s name was removed from the publisher field on all platforms offering Subnautica 2. Instead, Unknown Worlds has been listed as both publisher and developer. There has been no statement released by either company as to why this has occurred.
Should You Buy?
Unknown Worlds believes that Subnautica 2 will be in 2-3 years of Early Access before version 1.0 would be released and officially be launched as completed. The price is expected to rise after the official launch, as of right now $29.99 is the price for the game with all the updates until the release. It’s also available on day one of PC Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which is basically free if you already have a subscription to these services.
If you enjoyed the original, this game would be right up your alley. If you have never played Subnautica, a recommendation would be to play it. Subnautica is often on sale every 2-3 months for under $10 and still is one of the best survival games ever created. Once you get hooked, you’ll definitely come back for the sequel which doesn’t look like it will disappoint at all.