Subnautica 2 News

Subnautica 2 reportedly delayed to 2026, allegedly to avoid a $250 million bill

Thursday July 10 Since this story was published, Unknown Worlds has issued an official statement: "As you know, we believe deeply in the open development process at Unknown Worlds. All of our games, from Natural Selection to Subnautica, have been fully committed to that process. The first phase of open development on Subnautica 2 was a series of playtests that recently happened behind the scenes with our community. We got some great feedback about Subnautica 2 during those playtests. The community was responding well to the environment, creatures, and story, and felt positive about the general direction of the game. It gave us a great indication that we're swimming in the right direction. It also provided some insight that there are a few areas where we needed to improve before launching the first version of Subnautica 2 to the world. Our community is at the heart of how we develop, so we want to give ourselves a little extra time to respond to more of that feedback before releasing the game into early access. With that in mind, we've made the decision to delay Subnautica 2's E early access release to 2026. We're extremely thankful for the time the community has put into playing the game so far and answering our questions. We plan to continue running playtests to ensure that we're meeting even more of the expectations you all have for Subnautica 2. Nothing is changing in terms of the direction of the game or the team behind it. We are confident in what we've created; we just want to give you a little bit more content for our first early access release. We also want to showcase some of that confidence by giving you a longer look at some of Subnautica 2's gameplay. This is our first gameplay reveal teaser, and includes a glimpse at some parts of Subnautica 2 that we've been holding close to our chest. Now that Subnautica 2 is coming out in 2026, we'll be able to add more biomes, more vehicle upgrades, additional tools, expand on our story, and include more creatures to discover. We will also have lots more to share with the community in the coming months. Our next dev vlog will come out a little later than intended, but we fully plan to continue providing you with information, content, and footage showcasing the work we're doing on Subnautica 2, right up until its Early Access release and beyond. And we may have a few additional surprises as well. As always, we want to thank you for your incredible and continued support for Subnautica 2. The game wouldn't be what it is without our community. And though it'll be in your hands a little later than we originally thought, we're looking forward to bringing you on the journey with us."

Despite seeming ready for an early access launch before the end of this year, Steam's second-most wishlisted game Subnautica 2 is allegedly being delayed into 2026. That's according to a new Bloomberg report that also claims that an enormous bonus payment of $250 million was on the cards for developer Unknown Worlds if it reached certain revenue targets - targets that would likely be achievable with the release of the game.

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Krafton plan to delay Subnautica 2 and deny the studio a $250 million bonus

Subnautica 2 is being delayed into 2026 by its publishers Krafton, which would lead to the survival game's studio missing out on a previously agreed $250 million bonus, meant to be shared among employees. The revelation comes via a report from Bloomberg, and could finally explain why Krafton ousted the studio's most senior figures last week.

An Update on Subnautica 2 Early Access

[p]Hello Subnauts,[/p][p][/p][p]As you know, we believe deeply in the open development process at Unknown Worlds. All of our games, from Natural Selection to Subnautica, have been fully committed to that process. The first phase of open development on Subnautica 2 was a series of playtests that recently happened behind the scenes with our community.
[/p][p]We got some great feedback about Subnautica 2 during those playtests. The community was responding well to the environment, creatures, and story, and felt positive about the general direction of the game. It gave us a great indication that we’re swimming in the right direction.
[/p][p]It also provided some insight that there are a few areas where we needed to improve before launching the first version of Subnautica 2 to the world. Our community is at the heart of how we develop, so we want to give ourselves a little extra time to respond to more of that feedback before releasing the game into Early Access.
[/p][p]With that in mind, we’ve made the decision to delay Subnautica 2’s Early Access release to 2026.[/p][p]
We’re extremely thankful for the time the community has put into playing the game so far and answering our questions. We plan to continue running playtests to ensure that we’re meeting even more of the expectations you all have for Subnautica 2.
[/p][p]Nothing is changing in terms of the direction of the game or the team behind it. We are confident in what we’ve created; we just want to give you a little bit more content for our first Early Access release.
[/p][p]We also want to showcase some of that confidence by giving you a longer look at some of Subnautica 2's gameplay. This is our first gameplay reveal teaser, and includes a glimpse at some parts of Subnautica 2 that we've been holding close to our chest.
[/p][p][/p][previewyoutube][/previewyoutube][p][/p][p]Now that Subnautica 2 is coming out in 2026, we’ll be able to add more biomes, more vehicle upgrades, additional tools, expand on our story, and include more creatures to discover.[/p][p][/p][p]We will also have lots more to share with the community in the coming months. [/p][p][/p][p]Our next Dev Vlog will come out a little later than intended, but we fully plan to continue providing you with information, content, and footage showcasing the work we’re doing on Subnautica 2, right up until its Early Access release and beyond. [/p][p][/p][p]And we may have a few additional surprises as well.[/p][p][/p][p]As always, we want to thank you for your incredible and continued support for Subnautica 2. The game wouldn’t be what it is without our community. And though it’ll be in your hands a little later than we originally thought, we’re looking forward to bringing you on the journey with us.[/p][p][/p][p]Keep Diving![/p][p]
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Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton confirms 2026 delay, says the change 'was not influenced by any contractual or financial considerations'

Original story: Just a week after gutting the leadership of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds, a Bloomberg report says Krafton is going to delay the game's early access release into 2026. The decision comes mere months before the PUBG publisher was slated to pay Unknown Worlds a $250 million bonus that developers say hinged on Subnautica 2's release this year...
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Ousted Subnautica studio co-founder says it was a 'shock' to get fired, Subnautica 2 is 'ready' for early access release, and no longer working 'at the company I started stings'

Last week, Krafton gutted the leadership level of Subnautica studio Unknown Worlds, and in a notably robust press release said that studio needed "renewed energy and leadership" to deliver the long-awaited Subnautica 2. The fan reaction was generally speaking one of total dismay, so much so that Unknown Worlds released an open letter over the weekend asking for patience, and trying to reassure fans that key team members were still in place...
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