During Xbox’s 2024 October Partner Preview, Microsoft highlighted several upcoming projects, including anAlan Wake 2expansion called The Lake House, a new horror game by Bloober Team calledCronos: The New Dawn, and the highly anticipated indie sequelSubnautica 2. The third game in theSubnauticaseries afterSubnautica 1and the spin-offSubnautica: Below Zero,Subnautica 2will once again drop players into an oceanic alien world and force them to to survive in a beautiful yet hostile setting. Little is currently known how the game will play, but developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment has already confirmed a new feature to appear in the upcoming sequel: co-op.
Subnautica 2’s Optional Co-Op Explained
According to Unknown Worlds Community Manager Donya Abramo,Subnautica 2will finally allow gamers to explore alien oceans together in four player co-op while still offering a single player option similar topriorSubnauticagames. The developers expect co-op to challenge old and new players’ integrity and ability to adapt to unforeseen situations and complications bound to be encountered in the mysterious waters of a new, as yet unknown alien planet. Unlike other co-op games where the addition of players may increase the game’s difficulty or enemy combat ability, Unknown Worlds assured players that going solo will still provide a “familiar experience” to prior games and will be equally challenging, regardless of whether players decide to dive alone or as a team.
However, there is one caveat toSubnautica 2’s co-operative gameplay: the game will offer online multiplayer only, meaning the game will not offer a local split screen couch co-op option. Despite this limitation,Subnautica 2will be released in Early Access in 2025 via the Xbox Game Preview program. This will allow players to submit feedback about any bugs or issues with the gameplay so that Unknown Worlds can address them whileSubnautica 2is still in active development. For example, if people have trouble connecting with friends online on Steam, the Epic Games Store, or Xbox platforms, they could send Unknown Worlds feedback to hopefully have that issue resolved before the game officially releases.
Subnautica 2will be the first game in the series set on a new alien planet, withSubnautica 1andSubnautica: Below Zerobeing set on Planet 4546B.
The Potential of Subnautica 2’s Co-Op
No official footage ofSubnautica 2’s gameplay has been revealed so far, co-op or otherwise. Unknown Worlds did release aSubnautica 2cinematic teaser trailerwhich showcased a lone diver being dragged down what appears to be a blue hole and seemingly rescued by another diver in a Seatruck. However, a gigantic, tentacled sea creature emerges behind them and presumably attacks them just as the trailer ends. In a subsequent Xbox Wire article onSubnautica 2, several early screenshots of the game were released that featured two players swimming together and another with two Seatrucks moving towards a gigantic, Japanese spider crab-like creature.
While no gameplay of co-op has been shown yet, there’s still a lot of potential for how it can work inSubnautica 2. It could work similarly toMinecraft, with players able to drop into others’ worlds near the world’s host spawn point and able to explore freely from there. Players could work together on completingSubnautica 2’s main story and mysteriesor work on constructing multiple underwater bases of their own. If players can drop in and out of other people’s worlds,Subnautica 2could function like an underwaterAnimal Crossing, with players able to compare each other’s worlds and play community-made games.
The Benefit of Co-Op in Subnautica 2
One of the most alluring features of theSubnauticaseries is its vast alien oceans filled with all kinds of fantastical creatures. However, these creatures and vastness often served as a double-edged-sword, with many players becoming too frightened to journey further into the dark ocean depths inrisk of encountering terrifying Leviathansor losing precious equipment.Subnautica 2’s new co-op option could have players work together to help each other face their fears of the ocean’s mysteries and help encourage more players to actually complete the game. Co-op can also alleviate some of the innate horror of exploring an alien ocean through comedic interactions with friends similar toLethal Company.
Subnautica 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure game set on an all-new alien ocean world. It is the next chapter in the Subnautica universe, developed by Unknown Worlds.New World, New AdventureA new world awaits alongside an all-new story. You are a pioneer traveling to a distant world, but something is amiss. The ship’s AI insists you carry on the mission. This world is too dangerous for humans to survive… Unless you change what it means to be human. What creatures, intelligent or otherwise, await your arrival?Explore with FriendsPlay alone or with up to three friends in online multiplayer co-op. Whether exploring mysterious ruins, building custom bases, or adventuring deeper into the world… The challenge of this planet will test your ingenuity and ability to adapt, in unexpected and curious ways.Craft Submersibles, Tools, and BasesSurvival depends on utilizing the right tools. Alongside basic items such as your Scanner and Flashlight, you’ll find recipes for more advanced tools, equipment, and submersibles. Bases are more customizable with an overhauled building system. New tools allow for greater adaptation to the world.Uncover Diverse New BiomesFrom towering underwater cliffs to lush coral fields, this aquatic alien world is brimming with vibrant and breathtaking biomes, each teeming with diverse ecosystems and unique creatures. But something isn’t right. The world is out of balance. What happened here? What happened to you? And more importantly, where are you?Study Mysterious LifeformsUncover a rich world full of mysterious lifeforms, from the smallest fish to the largest Leviathans. Scan creatures to learn more about them. Use your Biosampler to take samples for study. As you learn more about this world, evolve your genetics to adapt your body for survival.Survive Terrifying DepthsThis world is vast and deep. Venture beyond the safety of shallow waters, descending into a dark unknown. Wonder and danger lurks around every corner. To survive this planet, you’ll need to push beyond your boundaries and unlock the secrets of this strange world.About the TeamSubnautica 2 is being created by Unknown Worlds, a fully remote studio that traces its roots back to the 2002 Half-Life mod Natural Selection. It is the same studio that created the original Subnautica. The team is scattered around the globe, from the United States to the United Kingdom, France, Iceland, Austria, Australia, Canada, India, and many more places.Early Access DevelopmentSubnautica 2 will be an Early Access game meaning it will be in active development at release. You may encounter bugs, in-development features, and performance issues. We will be adding additional biomes, creatures, craftables, and narrative as we proceed. Join us in Early Access and help shape the future of Subnautica 2.
