Subnautica 2 hits Early Access on May 14 with four-player co-op
Subnautica 2 launches in Early Access on May 14, 2026, and it's the biggest change the series has seen: up to four players can now explore the ocean together. Developer Unknown Worlds confirmed the date alongside a full gameplay showcase stream, revealing the first extended look at the sequel in action. PlayStation owners are left out at launch — the game is PC and Xbox only for now.
The look
The gameplay trailer shows the familiar Subnautica loop intact: your escape pod crashes on an ocean world sent by the Alterra Corporation, and survival means diving deeper, mining resources, and expanding a underwater base piece by piece. The sequel adds DNA modification, dynamic ocean currents, new biomes, and new creatures on a brand-new planet. Ancient ruins from an intelligent civilization return, as do fast underwater vehicles. The co-op mechanics are built into the game from the ground up rather than bolted on — Unknown Worlds designed the whole experience around groups of two to four players.
The full showcase stream ran for several hours and covered base-building, creature encounters, and the new progression systems in detail.
Platforms and price
Subnautica 2 launches simultaneously on Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store, and Xbox Series X/S, with day-one availability on Game Pass, as confirmed by Xbox Wire. The Early Access price is $29.99 USD with regional pricing for other markets; the price will go up when the game leaves Early Access. PlayStation 5 is not supported during Early Access — a PS5 version is only expected after the full 1.0 release.
What to expect long-term
Unknown Worlds plans to keep the game in Early Access for two to three years, with biweekly and monthly updates throughout, per Engadget. That puts a completed v1.0 somewhere around 2028 at the earliest. The delay to this point wasn't purely creative: a legal dispute between Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton ended in a settlement that reinstated CEO Ted Gill and restored a $250 million earnout through 2027. Subnautica 2 has been Steam's most-wishlisted game heading into launch, so the audience is clearly there — the question is how much content makes it into the May release versus what arrives over the following years.
