During Xbox’s 2024 October Partner Preview, Microsoft highlighted several upcoming projects, including an Alan Wake 2 expansion called The Lake House, a new horror game by Bloober Team called Cronos: The New Dawn, and the highly anticipated indie sequel Subnautica 2. The third game in the Subnautica series after Subnautica 1 and the spin-off Subnautica: Below Zero, Subnautica 2 will once again drop players into an oceanic alien world and force them to to survive in a beautiful yet hostile setting. Little is currently known how the game will play, but developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment has already confirmed a new feature to appear in the upcoming sequel: co-op.
Subnautica 2 Reveal Trailer Unveils Exciting New Features
The Subnautica 2 reveal trailer teases exciting new features including massive crustaceans, powerful water vortexes, terrifying leviathans, innovative vehicles, and hints at potential multiplayer or NPC interactions, with early access set for 2025.
Subnautica 2’s Optional Co-Op Explained
According to Unknown Worlds Community Manager Donya Abramo, Subnautica 2 will finally allow gamers to explore alien oceans together in four player co-op while still offering a single player option similar to prior Subnautica games. The developers expect co-op to challenge old and new players’ integrity and ability to adapt to unforeseen situations and complications bound to be encountered in the mysterious waters of a new, as yet unknown alien planet. Unlike other co-op games where the addition of players may increase the game’s difficulty or enemy combat ability, Unknown Worlds assured players that going solo will still provide a “familiar experience” to prior games and will be equally challenging, regardless of whether players decide to dive alone or as a team.
However, there is one caveat to Subnautica 2’s co-operative gameplay: the game will offer online multiplayer only, meaning the game will not offer a local split screen couch co-op option. Despite this limitation, Subnautica 2 will be released in Early Access in 2025 via the Xbox Game Preview program. This will allow players to submit feedback about any bugs or issues with the gameplay so that Unknown Worlds can address them while Subnautica 2 is still in active development. For example, if people have trouble connecting with friends online on Steam, the Epic Games Store, or Xbox platforms, they could send Unknown Worlds feedback to hopefully have that issue resolved before the game officially releases.
Subnautica 2 will be the first game in the series set on a new alien planet, with Subnautica 1 and Subnautica: Below Zero being set on Planet 4546B.
The Potential of Subnautica 2’s Co-Op
No official footage of Subnautica 2’s gameplay has been revealed so far, co-op or otherwise. Unknown Worlds did release a Subnautica 2 cinematic teaser trailer which showcased a lone diver being dragged down what appears to be a blue hole and seemingly rescued by another diver in a Seatruck. However, a gigantic, tentacled sea creature emerges behind them and presumably attacks them just as the trailer ends. In a subsequent Xbox Wire article on Subnautica 2, several early screenshots of the game were released that featured two players swimming together and another with two Seatrucks moving towards a gigantic, Japanese spider crab-like creature.
While no gameplay of co-op has been shown yet, there’s still a lot of potential for how it can work in Subnautica 2. It could work similarly to Minecraft, with players able to drop into others’ worlds near the world’s host spawn point and able to explore freely from there. Players could work together on completing Subnautica 2’s main story and mysteries or work on constructing multiple underwater bases of their own. If players can drop in and out of other people’s worlds, Subnautica 2 could function like an underwater Animal Crossing, with players able to compare each other's worlds and play community-made games.
The Benefit of Co-Op in Subnautica 2
One of the most alluring features of the Subnautica series is its vast alien oceans filled with all kinds of fantastical creatures. However, these creatures and vastness often served as a double-edged-sword, with many players becoming too frightened to journey further into the dark ocean depths in risk of encountering terrifying Leviathans or losing precious equipment. Subnautica 2’s new co-op option could have players work together to help each other face their fears of the ocean’s mysteries and help encourage more players to actually complete the game. Co-op can also alleviate some of the innate horror of exploring an alien ocean through comedic interactions with friends similar to Lethal Company.
- Developer(s)
- Unknown Worlds Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Krafton
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Subnautica
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure game set on an all-new alien ocean world. It is the next chapter in the Subnautica universe, developed by Unknown Worlds.
New World, New Adventure
A new world awaits alongside an all-new story. You are a pioneer traveling to a distant world, but something is amiss. The ship's AI insists you carry on the mission. This world is too dangerous for humans to survive… Unless you change what it means to be human. What creatures, intelligent or otherwise, await your arrival?
Explore with Friends
Play alone or with up to three friends in online multiplayer co-op. Whether exploring mysterious ruins, building custom bases, or adventuring deeper into the world… The challenge of this planet will test your ingenuity and ability to adapt, in unexpected and curious ways.
Craft Submersibles, Tools, and Bases
Survival depends on utilizing the right tools. Alongside basic items such as your Scanner and Flashlight, you’ll find recipes for more advanced tools, equipment, and submersibles. Bases are more customizable with an overhauled building system. New tools allow for greater adaptation to the world.
Uncover Diverse New Biomes
From towering underwater cliffs to lush coral fields, this aquatic alien world is brimming with vibrant and breathtaking biomes, each teeming with diverse ecosystems and unique creatures. But something isn’t right. The world is out of balance. What happened here? What happened to you? And more importantly, where are you?
Study Mysterious Lifeforms
Uncover a rich world full of mysterious lifeforms, from the smallest fish to the largest Leviathans. Scan creatures to learn more about them. Use your Biosampler to take samples for study. As you learn more about this world, evolve your genetics to adapt your body for survival.
Survive Terrifying Depths
This world is vast and deep. Venture beyond the safety of shallow waters, descending into a dark unknown. Wonder and danger lurks around every corner. To survive this planet, you’ll need to push beyond your boundaries and unlock the secrets of this strange world.
About the Team
Subnautica 2 is being created by Unknown Worlds, a fully remote studio that traces its roots back to the 2002 Half-Life mod Natural Selection. It is the same studio that created the original Subnautica. The team is scattered around the globe, from the United States to the United Kingdom, France, Iceland, Austria, Australia, Canada, India, and many more places.
Early Access Development
Subnautica 2 will be an Early Access game meaning it will be in active development at release. You may encounter bugs, in-development features, and performance issues. We will be adding additional biomes, creatures, craftables, and narrative as we proceed. Join us in Early Access and help shape the future of Subnautica 2.
- Number of Players
- 1-4
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
