Subnautica 2 confirmed for May 14 Early Access
Subnautica 2 has a confirmed Early Access release date. Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced the game launches on May 14, 2026, at 08:00 PDT / 15:00 UTC on PC and Xbox Series X/S. It is priced at $29.99 for Early Access and lands on Xbox Game Pass on day one.
A pre-launch showcase streams on May 9 via the official Unknown Worlds YouTube and Twitch channels, with Twitch Drops active during the broadcast for viewers who link their accounts. The showcase will cover what to expect from the Early Access build before the game opens to all players five days later.
What the Early Access build includes
Subnautica 2 is set on a new alien ocean planet, a departure from the locations used in both the original Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. The Early Access build launches with several biomes, creatures, craftables, and vehicles, alongside a partial narrative. Four-player co-op is supported from day one, built into the game's architecture from the earliest stages of development rather than added after the fact. Solo play remains a fully supported option throughout.
The game runs on Unreal Engine 5, which Unknown Worlds says allows for more complex creature behaviour and environmental interaction than was possible in earlier entries. Players can expect bugs, in-development features, and performance issues during Early Access. Unknown Worlds estimates the Early Access phase will last two to three years, placing the 1.0 release somewhere between 2028 and 2029. The price will increase after Early Access ends.
A long road to launch
The path to May 14 has been anything but straightforward. Krafton, which acquired Unknown Worlds for $500 million in 2021, removed the studio's founding leadership in July 2025, including CEO Ted Gill and co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire. The move came months before the originally planned 2025 Early Access window, with a $250 million bonus tied to revenue targets that a 2025 release would have helped trigger. A Delaware court ruled in March 2026 that Krafton had breached its acquisition agreement, ordering Gill's reinstatement as CEO. Development has continued under his leadership since.
Krafton's name was removed from the publisher field on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox in April 2026, with Unknown Worlds now listed as both developer and publisher. Neither party has officially confirmed the status of their publishing relationship, though the store page changes remain in place. Subnautica 2 is available to wishlist now on Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Microsoft Store.
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