Subnautica 2 set for early access in 2025, featuring Unreal Engine 5 enhancements

Subnautica 2 set for early access in 2025, featuring Unreal Engine 5 enhancements

Krafton has announced that Subnautica 2 will enter early access in the first half of 2025. The updates on Subnautica 2 were first posted in April 2022, and anticipation for the game’s trailer built up over the months, culminating in the final trailer on October 17, when fans learned that the game would go into early access in the first half of 2025. 

Unreal Engine 5 will power Subnautica 2, enhancing the entire aesthetic with better visual representations. They did, however, rule out its availability on mobile devices or older gaming consoles; the Xbox Series X/S and PC are confirmed to be current-generation platforms via Steam, the Epic Store, and the Microsoft Store. 

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PlayStation and Nintendo Switch fans may only get the game after the Xbox and PC release, possibly not before 2029.

Subnautica 2, the game expected to release a sequel, is set to be developed using the Unreal Engine 5 early access and should launch by 2025.

In its Q3 2023 financial report, the company revealed that the sequel will be in early access by 2025 through its publishing arm, Krafton. Pre-release open access phases for games like Subnautica have been conducted for several years. This means that fans might wait for the final release in 2028 or even later. This is similar to how the first Subnautica took over three years of development under the early access label before its full launch.

The earliest Subnautica 2 news emerged in April 2022, when Unknown Worlds Entertainment posted job postings on X (Twitter). In 2023, the new Subnautica game was revealed to be in development through a financial report posted by the game publisher Krafton.

Subnautica 2 will be powered by Unreal Engine 5, bringing enhanced graphical fidelity and deeper immersion to the underwater exploration genre. 

However, the game will not be available on mobile devices or older consoles, with confirmed platforms including Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Windows Store. It’s expected that PlayStation and Nintendo Switch users may see a release after the Xbox and PC launch, possibly as late as 2029.

The anticipated sequel to Subnautica, powered by Unreal Engine 5, is set to debut in early access by 2025.

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The game’s publisher, Krafton, shared in its Q3 2023 financial report that the sequel will launch in early access in 2025. Early access phases for games like Subnautica have historically extended over several years. As such, fans might not see a full release until 2028 or later. This mirrors the timeline of the first Subnautica, which spent over three years in early access before its final release.

New features include a four-player co-op and enhanced graphics, with an expected full release beyond 2025.

Although Subnautica 2 is not currently available for pre-order, it should be noted that Krafton has a history of offering pre-order incentives for its major titles. 

Players could be able to download something or get in-game items or features that are often available through Krafton’s PUBG pre-order promotions. Online screenshots of the game began to surface. Liam Tart first tweeted that what some believed to be the concept art for the original game was actually a sceeenshot of the new sequel running Unreal Engine 5. 

People are getting more and more thrilled as the game’s early access draws near, especially those who have been anticipating the continuation of this series’ adventures.