Developers Unknown Worlds and publishers Krafton have given us our first proper look at their next open world exploration sim, Subnautica 2, which will launch on PC via Xbox Game Preview in 2025. It’ll support four player co-op, alongside the returning singleplayer survive-o-buildy experience, and it’ll take place on a brand new planet. Here’s the reveal trailer.
“Whether you’re bringing the experience of your previous adventures with you, or are new to the Subnautica games, you’ll get to explore lush new environments, encounter fascinating creatures around every corner, and uncover the secrets at the core of this mysterious planet,” comments a post on the Xbox NewsWire. “But as familiar as things might seem to seasoned players at first glance, Subnautica 2 will offer new and unique experiences that will keep you on your… fins.”
As for the “hotly requested” co-op multiplayer, it’ll come with the initial Xbox Game Preview launch next year. The developers are careful to point out that if you’re one of “those who prefer the eerily beautiful solitude of solo play, Subnautica 2 will still provide that familiar experience, and prove equally as challenging.”
Beyond that, expect “new and improved tools, vehicles, and base building” and “a whole host of creatures big and small, the likes of which have never been seen before”. I imagine that’s one of the new critters in the trailer – a leviathan of some kind, by the looks of things, with bioluminescent fittings and tentacles.
Sure sounds like a sequel, doesn’t it? It’s nice to have this one out in the open, finally – the developers have been releasing teaser images of Subnautica 2 in the first game’s time capsules. To answer the obvious question – I don’t know whether this means it’s not coming to Steam, Epic Games Store or other PC storefronts, but it sounds like it’s a Microsoft-only joint for the minute.