Subnautica 2 is now available on Steam through Early Access, letting players explore more alien oceans. It’s already proven very popular! As it’s still in development, the game isn’t finished yet, but the developers are actively working on it and plan to continue improving it.
The team at Unknown Worlds Entertainment has shared a plan for upcoming improvements and new content for the game. While they haven’t announced every detail yet, the updates are currently divided into three main categories, which you can find listed below:
- Quality of Life Update (EA 1.1)
- Co-op Centric Update (EA 1.2)
- Major Expansion Updates (Future)
Subnautica 2 is now available for early testing on PC and through Xbox Game Pass’s Game Preview program. The development roadmap doesn’t specify any differences for each platform, meaning updates and changes will likely affect all versions of the game.
Quality-of-Life Update
We’re making some changes to improve how the game plays overall. These updates will make battles and other systems more fun, easier to understand, and more engaging. You can expect these improvements in our first update after Early Access begins, version 1.1.
Biomod System
In Subnautica 2, the Biomod system is divided into two types: active and passive. Players unlock these by scanning creatures with their bioscanner while exploring the oceans of Proteus. Active Biomods require player input to work, enhancing abilities in specific situations – for example, Sonic Echo reveals nearby resources, and Dash increases movement speed. Passive Biomods provide automatic benefits and, while less interactive, are still very helpful, such as Water Retention, which doubles how much water you can hold.
These abilities aren’t very well-balanced. Some, like Dash, significantly improve gameplay, while others, like Dermal Garden, are hardly helpful. Because players have a limited number of slots for these upgrades, this imbalance restricts what most people choose to use.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment is likely paying attention to how players are using mods, and hopefully they’ll improve the less popular options. Since it’s the first thing on their development plan, it seems like a high priority for them.
Blight Encounters
Like the Kharaa bacterium in the original game, the Blight infects the planet’s environment, making enemies stronger and areas more dangerous. Right now, these encounters can feel repetitive, often forcing players to use certain upgrades to progress. There’s also potential to add more variety to the challenges players face while exploring reefs and shipwrecks.
Wreck Gameplay
The game’s wreck exploration is also getting some updates. It’s unclear whether the developers will focus on making existing wrecks more engaging, adding more wrecks to empty areas, or even changing the creatures found inside and around them. A combination of these improvements, or something entirely new, could be what the game needs.
Vehicle Docking and Fabrication
The Vehicle Fabricator is a useful tool for building new vehicles for exploring, but players have found it frustrating to use. Subnautica 2 doesn’t clearly explain how much space tools like the Fabricator and the Tadpole Dock need. Players often have to experiment to figure out the right size and placement, and even when there seems to be enough room, base building quirks can prevent successful placement.
PDA Databank
It’s easy to see how updates are progressing with the PDA Databank because it currently contains very little information. Adding more entries will significantly expand the game world of Subnautica 2.
The in-game logs are currently quite detailed, varying from short descriptions to longer, multi-paragraph entries. They don’t just repeat facts about the creatures; they offer insightful observations about their behavior and ecosystems, sometimes even using poetic language. If future logs maintain this level of quality, it will greatly enhance the experience of playing Subnautica 2.
Voicelogs Priority System
Honestly, the audio logs in this game are amazing. They really pull you into the story and hint at some seriously cool mysteries. I’ve found they’re way more focused on horror this time around compared to the first Subnautica, which fits the creepy vibe perfectly. They’re definitely the best way to uncover what’s going on and keep me hooked!
Often, players quickly find blueprints and similar items right after starting a voicelog. These items have their own audio cues that cut off the story being told, disrupting the experience. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, letting voicelogs finish playing while you explore and collect items would improve the game.
EA 1.1 Planned Additions
These are gameplay additions that are slotted for release in the EA 1.1 patch.
More Passive Biomod Slots
Currently, characters can only equip one Passive Biomod at a time. Adding more Biomod slots will address the selection problems we previously discussed and give players more options to personalize their builds.
Storage Cache
Having storage will be a big help for players building their base. Right now, collecting resources and making building materials can be tough because your inventory fills up quickly. Being able to store extra food, water, and materials will make the game much smoother and easier to manage.
Sprint
As players build and expand their bases, they can become quite large and difficult to get around. To make moving through these bases faster and easier, we’re adding a sprint feature for running between locations.
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Co-op Centric Update
Subnautica 2 now lets you play with friends, sharing progress in the same game world. To make playing together even better, the game is getting some special co-op features. These improvements will be available in the upcoming EA 1.2 update, which will be released a little later than some of the other recent updates.
Hud Signals
Having fun with friends is awesome, but the information displayed on screen during multiplayer could be better. This update improves the on-screen display to make teamwork smoother, letting you understand what your friends are doing without having to constantly talk.
Base Builder Tool
Building your base is a really fun part of the game, though it can be a little tricky to get started. This feature seems designed to make building with friends easier, but it’s not entirely clear exactly what it does yet.
Pinned Recipes System
Subnautica 2 features a huge variety of crafting options, letting you create everything from tools and equipment to food and building supplies. While there are many recipes to discover, the game lets you pin the ones you need to easily track what you’re working towards and what materials you still need to find.
The more complex recipes require a lot of different materials, and saving several of them to view at once makes the screen feel crowded. It’s also currently difficult to quickly remove basic and furniture recipes from being pinned. Fixing these problems would make the game much easier and more enjoyable to play.
EA 1.2 Planned Additions
EA Update 1.2 will significantly improve the multiplayer experience with new features like voice chat, the ability to trade with other players, a player revive system, and more ways to customize your character.
General Improvements and Additions
In addition to these changes, the Unknown Worlds team continues to focus on improving the game with bug fixes, balance adjustments, and performance enhancements.
Expansion Updated
I’m so excited about the future of Subnautica 2! The developers have big plans for the game as it leaves Early Access. They’re going to massively expand the world with all sorts of new environments, creatures, things to gather, tools to use, and even new vehicles to explore in. Plus, they’re working on a whole new part of the story! It sounds like they really want to make the game what we, the players, want it to be, so they’re encouraging us to use the in-game feedback tool to help shape the direction of the game. It’s awesome that they’re listening!
These updates seem like great improvements and should help Subnautica 2 live up to the success of the first game. However, development plans can shift, so we’ll need to stay tuned for any further announcements or adjustments.
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2026-05-18 13:44