Subnautica 2 has hit virtually half 1,000,000 concurrent gamers on Steam in its first hour of launch. On the time of this text’s publication, Subnautica 2 was on an unimaginable 467,000 concurrent gamers on Valve’s platform, and developer Unknown Worlds confirmed the game had sold 1 million copies throughout the first hour of launch. For an early entry sport that launched on PC and Xbox Sequence X and S in the midst of a weekday, these numbers are fairly enormous. It is seemingly they may solely develop from right here, as phrase of mouth spreads and extra gamers come on-line.
The essential reception to the sport appears to be constructive. We gave Subnautica 2’s early entry launch a 7/10 in our evaluation, noting that it is enjoyable, however it’s evident the sport remains to be a work-in-progress. “It’s fairly spectacular that wading within the shallow tides of Subnautica 2’s Early Entry debut is as enjoyable as it’s already, and that ought to be an awesome signal of issues to return, however I additionally wouldn’t blame anybody for ready for these waters to rise a bit earlier than getting their toes moist,” we mentioned.
Subnautica 2 was probably the most anticipated video games round, and essentially the most wishlisted sport on Steam up till its launch. The primary sport was an indie darling that captivated followers with its extremely serene, but mysterious setting. Gamers fill the footwear of a spaceship crash survivor after touchdown within the ocean of a mysterious alien planet. They’re compelled to make use of no matter they will to outlive and uncover the secrets and techniques round them. It made for an extremely compelling expertise, however one which additionally might be expanded upon.
Subnautica 2 had a bumpy highway to launch, with improvement starting round 2022. The sport was initially focusing on a 2025 launch, however was delayed following drama with writer Krafton. In July 2025, Krafton eliminated Unknown World’s management from the corporate, together with CEO Ted Gill. This spawned a authorized battle, with the fired staff claiming Krafton allow them to go and delayed the sport to keep away from paying out a large $250 million bonus for hitting key targets and deadlines. A decide had Gill and his colleagues reinstated earlier this yr, which then put the sport again on observe for launch.
There was one final impediment earlier than launch, nevertheless. Subnautica 2 leaked on-line days earlier than its launch. Nevertheless, it would not appear to have harm the sport in any notable approach. Subnautica 2’s launch is just the start, as it will likely be up to date over time with new content material. For now, the sport packs a meaty narrative, co-op, and an expansive sea to discover.
Cade Onder is a freelancer for IGN’s information group. He covers all issues leisure, together with gaming, movie, and extra. Yow will discover him on Twitter @Cade_Onder.