Subnautica 2 won't be done when it releases in May (but for good reason)

Expect at least two years of early access After months of confusing legal drama involving publisher Krafton and fired Unknown Worlds developers, Subnautica 2 will be released into Steam Early Access next month on May 14, the studio announced Thursday. Though the underwater survival sequel has been in development for at least four years, it was never going to go straight into a 1.0 launch: Subnautica 2 was always going to be released in early access first. That shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s been playing the series since it debuted. Subnautica was released into early access in 2014 and remained there until 2018 when it launched in full. The spin-off Subnautica: Below Zero was similarly in early access for a couple of years before a 1.0 release in 2021. “It's built into the DNA of the studio,” game design lead Anthony Gallegos told Polygon in a video interview ahead of Subnautica 2’s release date reveal. Gallegos and creative media producer Scott MacDonald discussed how Unknown Worlds Entertainment takes advantage of early access when developing its games as well as how community feedback will influence Subnautica 2, continuing the studio’s tested recipe for success. “Every