Surprise! Unknown Worlds has released a new 10-minute Q&A video diving into the details of Subnautica 2.
In this video interview, community manager Donya Abramo and creative producer Scott MacDonald share new insights about the upcoming survival game. They confirm the return to a silent protagonist and stress that Subnautica 2 is designed primarily as a single-player experience, with cooperative play as a later option—clarifying it's not a co-op game you simply play alone.
Asked about the game's scale, MacDonald stated: “The playable map at launch will be larger than the original Subnautica and even Below Zero were during their early access phases. Although we can't yet say exactly how big or deep it will become throughout early access, our world designers and environment artists are meticulously crafting everything by hand. We're pouring all our creativity into this world.
“Our goal is to make this the biggest and most thrilling Subnautica experience ever by the time we reach the full 1.0 release in a few years.”
Not everything from the past is returning, however. The Cyclops, Seamoth, and Sea Truck vehicles will not make a comeback. Instead, new vehicles are in development, designed with the same spirit but better suited to navigate the game’s fresh environments.
“A large submarine won’t be ready for the start of early access, but the team is actively working on one behind the scenes,” Abramo added.
While a firm release date is still pending, the team confirmed that early access will begin later this year, initially available only on PC and Xbox. This is because PlayStation currently doesn't support early access releases. VR support is also not planned at this stage.
Proximity chat is not currently scheduled, though the developers are looking into the possibility. For now, players are advised to use Discord to communicate with friends during co-op sessions.
The new Subnautica adventure supports up to four players and transports them to an entirely new planet, filled with uncharted environments, plants, and wildlife. Although the exact date is still under wraps, players can dive in during late 2025 on PC and Xbox Series X|S, including through Game Pass for top-tier subscribers.
We rated the original Subnautica an outstanding 9.1 in our review, praising it as “a survival game with focus and an excellent sci-fi story, but its greatest achievement is its underwater horror.” The follow-up, Subnautica: Below Zero, also earned a solid nine out of ten in our IGN review.
