Subnautica 2 ▶ Trailer
Subnautica 2 screenshot 1Subnautica 2 screenshot 2
ActionAdventureMultiplayerSurvivalHorrorUnderwaterExploration

2,905 playing

Peak in the last 24 hours: 3,884

Peak in the last 7 days: 5,340

Subnautica 2 Early Access Steam store

Game description

Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure set on an all-new alien world, developed by Unknown Worlds. Play alone or with friends in 4-player co-op. Adapt to survive by building custom bases and crafting tools. Explore the unknown to uncover the mysteries hidden within the depths.

Basic info

DeveloperUnknown Worlds Entertainment
PublisherUnknown Worlds Entertainment
PlatformsWindows
Steam DeckVerified
Release dateMay 14, 2026
Price

Prices by IsThereAnyDeal

Minimum specs

OSWindows 10/11
ProcessorIntel Core i5-8400 / AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Memory12 GB
GraphicsGeForce GTX 1660 6GB / RX 5500 XT 6GB
Storage50 GB
steamyze

Review Analysis Score

Based on 381 reviews from the past 1 year

80.5/ 100
Top 50%

Steam rating: Very Positive (91%)

Review analysis summary (Reviewed Oct 13, 2026)

The sequel Subnautica 2 draws 82 reviews that praise its visuals, and the most upvoted also likes the base building and Tadpole vehicle. It scores 80.5.

👍 Strengths

Visuals & Sound ranks 334th of 1249 and comes up in 50% of analyzed reviews. 70 reviews praise the underwater world and its atmosphere, and 64 say they enjoyed it despite problems. Multiplayer ranks 173rd of 642, with players saying it is fun with friends. Tech & Support ranks 234th of 1399.

👎 Where it falls short

40 reviews find it too hard, the most upvoted blaming relentless creature aggression that feels frustrating rather than fair. Content Volume ranks 753rd of 1351, and 32 find the content short, the most upvoted saying it falls below what the early access plan promised. 28 criticize developer support, the most upvoted asking for the Turkish language support that earlier games had. Others report heavy performance demands even on top graphics cards, and some dislike being unable to fight large leviathans. Gameplay ranks 891st of 1396.

Representative reviews Original reviews ↗

“base building intuitive and best ever, Tadpole vehicle feels great, visuals gorgeous” · 82 reviews
“relaxing underwater exploration with good atmosphere” · 70 reviews
“played ten hours straight, very enjoyable despite problems” · 64 reviews

How it holds up

−50+5

Controls, difficulty, progression and depth
Mentioned in 58% of reviews · Bottom 40% of the games we've analyzed

Freedom +1.72 · Room to explore, build, and play your own way
Positive “dynamic building aspect is awesome and creative” · 10 reviews
Negative “creatures cannot be killed or deterred, constant harassment creates fatigue” · 21 reviews

Progression 14% · Difficulty 25% · Onboarding 12% · Strategy 15% · Controls & feel 11%

Plot, characters and the world
Mentioned in 58% of reviews · Top 50% of the games we've analyzed

World +3.30 · Lore, atmosphere, and how immersive the setting is
Positive “relaxing underwater exploration with good atmosphere” · 70 reviews
Negative “game's philosophy on peace is fundamentally flawed and hypocritical” · 12 reviews

Story 26% · Characters 2%

How much there is to do, variety and replay value
Mentioned in 43% of reviews · Bottom 50% of the games we've analyzed

Volume +0.31 · How much there is to play, including endgame, for the price
Positive “15+ hours story and exploration, base building fun” · 11 reviews
Negative “only 4-6 hours of content, far below promised EA specifications” · 32 reviews

Variety 19% · Replayability 2%

Graphics, art style, music and sound
Mentioned in 50% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Visuals +3.85 · Graphics, art style, and animation
Positive “base building intuitive and best ever, Tadpole vehicle feels great, visuals gorgeous” · 82 reviews
Negative “uneven lighting effects missing from previous entries” · 1 review

Audio 17%

Playing with others, the community and servers
Mentioned in 25% of reviews · Top 30% of the games we've analyzed

Playing together +2.87 · Fun of playing with friends, teammates, or rivals
Positive “game is fun especially with friends” · 23 reviews
Negative “fish creatures interrupt outdoor activities and feel disruptive” · 3 reviews

Community 1% · Servers & Connection 2%

Pricing, cheaters, balance and matchmaking
Mentioned in 18% of reviews · Bottom 30% of the games we've analyzed

Balance -0.36 · Whether classes, weapons, and builds are evenly matched
Negative “cannot use weapons against giant leviathans while allowed to kill small fish” · 22 reviews

Anti-cheat 0% · Pricing 8% · Matchmaking 0%

Bugs, performance and developer support
Mentioned in 50% of reviews · Top 20% of the games we've analyzed

Performance +0.21 · Frame rate, optimization, and loading times
Positive “FPS and frametimes stable, runs really well on Steam Deck” · 10 reviews
Negative “horribly optimized, Lumen reliance brings even RTX 5090 below 60 FPS at 1080p” · 27 reviews

Stability 19% · Developer support 27%

Grey means too few reviews mention it to trust. — means almost no reviews mention it.

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