Subnautica 2 hits Early Access on May 14 — here's the price and what to expect
After a $250 million legal battle and months of uncertainty, Subnautica 2 has a firm launch date: May 14, 2026. Unknown Worlds confirmed Early Access across Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and Xbox Series X|S at $29.99 — a price the studio says will rise when the game hits version 1.0, which is estimated to be two to three years away. It also lands day one on Xbox Game Pass.
The game
Subnautica 2 drops players onto a new alien ocean planet on a mission for the Alterra Corporation — and, predictably, things go sideways fast. The sequel keeps the series' signature loop of deep-sea exploration, base-building, and gradual survival crafting, but has been designed around co-op from the ground up. Up to four players can explore together online, though solo play remains fully supported.
The cinematic trailer released alongside the announcement runs on Unreal Engine 5 and shows a significantly wider scope than the original. The first Subnautica sold more than five million copies; the sequel already has four million Steam wishlists, making it one of the most-anticipated games on the platform.
The publisher situation
There's a complicated backstory. In early 2026, Krafton — the South Korean publisher behind PUBG — fired Unknown Worlds' leadership, including CEO Ted Gill. A Delaware court reversed that decision in March 2026, finding Krafton had breached its equity agreement. Gill was reinstated, but the tension hasn't disappeared: he has said publicly he wasn't consulted on the May launch window.
Krafton's name briefly vanished from Subnautica 2's Steam page, which many read as a sign the deal had collapsed. Unknown Worlds told Eurogamer it was an accident: "We work with Krafton on all marketing materials — it's a joint publishing deal. What happened on Steam was just a fluke."
What you won't find
No microtransactions, no battle pass, no loot boxes. Unknown Worlds made that commitment explicit following fan backlash after Krafton's reported push toward a live-service model in 2025. The $29.99 Early Access price already undercuts most live-service competitors by $20 or more.
One gap: no PlayStation version at launch. Sony doesn't support Microsoft's Game Preview program, which Subnautica 2 is using for its Xbox release, so a PS5 version has not been announced — though the original Subnautica did eventually reach PS4. The May 14 launch kicks off at 8 a.m. PT, per Gematsu.