‘We want you to be a part of it’: Subnautica 2’s Early Access is about to begin, and the devs want players to experience all the new vehicles, craftables, and leviathans first-hand

2025 is going to be a great year for anyone who likes building elaborate underwater laboratories or is just a fan of crustaceans, thanks to Subnautica 2 coming into Early Access, which soon players will be able to be a part of.

“Whether you’re new to Subnautica or returning for another journey with us, welcome aboard, Captain,” Subnautica design lead, Anthony Gallegos, says in a dev blog. “We’re kicking off the road to Early Access now, and we want you to be part of it. Just like with Subnautica and Below Zero, we’ll be inviting you on a futuristic underwater survival adventure set on an all-new mysterious alien world.”

We’ve already seen a small glimpse of Subnautica 2’s world via a short teaser trailer released towards the end of last year. It looked just as beautiful and terrifying as I’ve come to hope for from a Subnautica game, and ever since then, I’ve been so excited to dive in and see what it’s really like for myself.

“The whole team believes that Subnautica 2 is shaping up to be our biggest and most ambitious Subnautica game ever, and we can’t wait until you dive in,” Gallegos continues. “We’ve taken everything that we’ve learned from our experience on the previous games, and we’ve poured it into Subnautica 2. We’re working with veterans of the Subnautica series but have also brought on some new faces, so you know you’ll be in good hands.”

I’m not sure the devs could go too wrong with a Subnautica game. I already love the environment, critters, craftables, and base building, so I’m fairly certain that as long as they stay the course, I’ll love the sequel. But I will say that I would love to see more biomes and maybe, against my better judgment, bigger monsters.

The latter would undoubtedly be quite scary considering how big some of the Leviathans already are, but at least I wouldn’t have to deal with it by myself. “We’re ready to shake things up. For the first time, you’ll have the chance to experience Subnautica 2 with your friends in co-op. But whether you choose to play solo or with friends, we hope each descent into the depths is more thrilling than ever.

“If that sounds awesome to you, then join us for Early Access later in 2025. You’ll be there when we first add new vehicles, craftables, biomes, and Leviathans. And you’ll be able to tell us exactly what you think as we continue to develop the game alongside you.”

Again, love Subnautica, and love the idea of being in the playtest later this year, but I don’t think I love the idea of being the first person to encounter a new kind of Leviathan. But maybe that’s just me being the coward that I am, I’m sure there are plenty of players biting at the salty chomp to see this new world for themselves. Godspeed to any thalassophiles out there, the ocean depths are calling your name and asking, “What do you want to see in Subnautica 2?”