Subnautica 2 Players Aren’t Happy About Immersion Breaking Immortal Fish

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A number of players in the early access version of Subnautica 2 have expressed frustration with the fact that fish can’t be killed. Although this isn’t a widespread issue, a significant portion of the community feels that this unkillable aspect disrupts the game’s immersive experience without offering any real benefits.

The original Subnautica games featured scary creatures, but focused on peaceful exploration. Players could catch small fish for resources, but larger predators were mainly obstacles to avoid. While it was possible to kill these creatures, there wasn’t much reason to, and players didn’t have powerful weapons to do so. Now, with Subnautica 2, the developers, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, have removed the ability to harm or kill any of the game’s creatures entirely.

Subnautica 2 Early Access Players Are Annoyed by Unkillable Fauna

Just days after its release on May 14th, some players expressed disappointment with the decision in Subnautica 2 to make larger creatures unable to be killed. One Reddit user, DinosAndBearsOhMy, explained that while they didn’t often kill wildlife in the first Subnautica, the immortal creatures in the sequel break the sense of realism. The post quickly gained over 2,600 upvotes and became popular on the r/Subnautica subreddit, showing that many players feel the same way.

Subnautica 2 May Never Get a Thermoblade

Following the initial feedback, many players discussed how the game’s focus on peaceful survival doesn’t quite fit with the idea of being stranded on a dangerous alien planet. One player explained that being defenseless feels unrealistic, stating they’d prefer to at least be able to fight back. Another suggested that if creatures can’t be killed, the developers might not need to include the ‘Thermoblade’ – a popular knife upgrade from previous games, Subnautica and Below Zero. This knife allowed players to quickly kill and cook small fish, and it also served as a powerful weapon against larger creatures. Since combat might not be a key feature in Subnautica 2, the Thermoblade’s usefulness could be limited.

The decision to make some creatures unkillable in Subnautica 2 has sparked debate, but Unknown Worlds Entertainment had previously announced this feature for Leviathans and other large creatures. While the developers haven’t fully explained their reasoning, making these creatures immortal changes how players interact with the game’s environment. Instead of destroying threats, players must learn to adapt to them. This is particularly important because Subnautica 2 includes co-op gameplay, which could have allowed groups to easily overcome powerful predators like the Reaper Leviathan – creatures whose AI currently focuses on only one player at a time.

While a few players are still reporting issues with unkillable fish, the launch of Subnautica 2‘s early access has been a major success. Developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced that the game sold 2 million copies in its first 12 hours, even with it being available through Xbox Game Pass from the start.

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2026-05-17 01:05