Subnautica 2 has bought 2 million copies inside 12 hours of its early entry launch, developer Unknown Worlds has introduced. It’s an enormous begin for the underwater survival and crafting journey sport after a turbulent street to launch.
Peak concurrent gamers throughout all platforms Subnautica 2 launched on (PC by way of Steam and the Epic Video games Retailer, and Xbox Collection X and S), exceeded 651,000, with Steam alone reaching a peak of greater than 467,000 concurrent gamers. That’s practically 9 occasions the all-time peak concurrent participant rely of the unique Subnautica, which launched in 2018, Unknown Worlds mentioned.
Subnautica 2 was essentially the most wishlisted sport on Steam forward of launch, and had monumental momentum off the again of 18.5 million gross sales throughout the collection. This sequel, developed utilizing Unreal Engine 5, has optionally available co-op for as much as 4 gamers, fuelling multiplayer virality. IGN’s Subnautica 2 early entry overview returned a 7/10. We mentioned: “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 must be an amazing 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.”
Subnautica 2 had a bumpy street to launch, with growth 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 monitor for launch.
There was one final impediment earlier than launch, nonetheless. Subnautica 2 leaked on-line days earlier than its launch. Nonetheless, it does not appear to have damage the sport in any notable means. Subnautica 2’s launch is just the start, as will probably 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.
We’ve received a Issues to Do First in Subnautica 2 information to take a look at earlier than you dive in, plus useful resource location guides that can assist you discover Titanium, Silver, and extra. Uncover blackbox and provide crate places on our interactive Subnautica 2 map, and ensure you don’t miss any Angel Comb Diversifications or Blueprints.
Wesley is Director, Information at IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You may attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.