Subnautica 2 might still be lacking an early access release date beyond a vague “2025” window, but that hasn’t stopped Unknown Worlds from cranking the hype handling a little harder, with the studio having now shared a few additional details of things to come as part of a new video Q&A.
Last time around, Unknown Worlds offered a first, fleeting look at Subnautica 2 gameplay, but for its latest video update, creative producer Scott MacDonald and community manager Donya Abramo tackled a couple of burning fan questions. Admittedly, most of them ended with ‘not yet’, ‘maybe at some point’, and ‘no’, but there were still a couple of facts to glean.
Perhaps the most notable tidbit came in form of confirmation that Subnautica 2 will ditch the controversially chatty protagonist of 2021’s standalone expansion Below Zero and return to the silent protagonist approach of the first game, although that doesn’t mean other characters won’t be voiced. The decision accompanies the introduction of customisable characters, with players able to select from a handful of pre-designed protagonists before diving in. Unknown Worlds notes there’ll potentially be some further “freedom to express yourself as your character”, but whatever that means, it won’t be util after early access launch.
As for the world of Subnautica 2, it’s set on a brand-new ocean planet promising “all-new mysteries, creatures, and experiences”, and Unknown Worlds says it’s aiming for the game to be the “biggest and most exciting” series entry “ever” when it hits 1.0 in a few years time. It isn’t, however, exactly sure “how big and how deep [players will] be able to go over the course of early access”, but says the initial early access launch map will be more sizeable than those of the original Subnautica and Below Zero at a comparative time.
And a vast new underwater world to explore means vehicles. Unfortunately for fans of the Cyclops, Seamoth, and even the Sea Truck seen in earlier games, none of those are returning for the sequel. However, Unknown Worlds says new vehicles are coming – including a big sub scheduled to arrive later in early access – that’ll be “designed in the same spirit [as their predecessors], just more suited to the brand-new environment they need to navigate”. Additionally, “some of your favourite tools [will return], but improved”, and base building is set to offer more customisation than ever before”.
What else? Unknown Worlds stresses that, despite supporting co-op for up to four players, Subnautica 2 is being designed as a solo experience first. That means it should be recapture the sense of “isolation and terror” that made the original such a winner, although the studio readily admits it “won’t really be able to protect” that atmosphere if players opt to bring friends along for the ride. Sadly, there’s no local split-screen option for those wanting to cuddlefish up on the couch, but cross-play is supported between Xbox and PC platforms, and as for proximity chat, that’s currently being ‘investigated’. VR support isn’t on the cards at present, either.
All of which brings us back to the big question of a release date, but Unknown Words says it’s “not quite ready to share one just yet”. Nor is it talking release platforms beyond PC and Xbox, only saying Subnautica 2 will hit other machines “when the time is right”. It is, though, still scheduled for a 2025 release, and will be available as part of Game Pass on day one.
