Subnautica 2's Early Access Roadmap Just Dropped: Sprint Button Acquired (Finally!), Plus an Ocean of Updates!
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Subnautica 2's extensive early access roadmap is here, promising a massive wave of updates including a much-needed sprint button, expanded cooperative play, and a wealth of new content like biomes and story chapters. Despite a "tumultuous rift" preceding launch, the game has seen huge initial success, and Unknown Worlds aims to keep building on that momentum over the next "two years, give or take."
Alright, mate, gather 'round because Subnautica 2 has just done what digital wizards do best: revealed its hand for the future! We're talking about the *first* official roadmap for its early access, and fair dinkum, it looks like Unknown Worlds is planning to add enough new bits and bobs to make your head swim – in a good way, hopefully!
Big thanks to Ari Notis over at Polygon for pulling the initial intel on this, because it's proper fascinating. Now, we all remember the bit of a hullabaloo with Unknown Worlds and Krafton, don't we? A bit of a publicly tumultuous rift, as they say. But despite any behind-the-scenes magic gone slightly awry, Subnautica 2 dropped into early access on May 14th for Windows PC and Xbox Series X and absolutely exploded. Reckon folks were keen, eh? Over a million copies in the first hour, doubling by the end of day one. Bloody hell, that's some serious diving enthusiasm!
So, what's in this grand plan? Unknown Worlds has broken it down into three phases, like a complex spell with multiple incantations:
* **Phase One: Quality of Life (EA 1.1)** – This is where they iron out the kinks and add those sweet, sweet conveniences. * **Phase Two: Cooperative Chaos (EA 1.2)** – Expanding those multiplayer options so you can drown together, I mean, *explore* together. * **Phase Three: Major Arcana** – Big, chunky updates to the core game.
And, naturally, they'll be slinging out minor patches along the way to squish bugs and optimise things. Because, wizardry aside, games still need their digital dust bunnies swept.
Let's talk about EA 1.1, shall we? They're bumping up the game's storage cache and giving us more biomod options and slots. More customisation? Always a win in my book. But the *biggest* news, the one that made me nearly spill my digital tea, is the **inclusion of a sprint system**! Finally! No more that heartbreaking slow-motion panic as your oxygen depletes five feet from the surface. You'll actually *make it*! It's the little things, isn't it? It's like finding that one missing spell component you've been searching for since the dawn of time.
Then comes EA 1.2, which sounds like it'll expand the base-building tools – which, let's be honest, can always do with a bit more oomph – and add some extra HUD signals. For us multiplayer enthusiasts, expect voice chat (finally chat with your mates properly!), emotes (because expressing joy before being eaten is crucial), and the rather handy ability to revive other players. Plus more customisation, naturally. So, more ways to show off your funky diving suit before a giant leviathan eats you.
Beyond those initial two updates, Unknown Worlds is promising... well, basically *everything*. New biomes to get lost in, new creatures to scream at, new resources to hoard, new tools to craft, a new vehicle to zoom around in, and a brand-new story chapter to unravel. It's an ambitious list, isn't it? Like trying to summon a whole new dimension, piece by piece.
Now, for the classic dev caveat: no specific dates have been given for any of these updates. They did tell Polygon back in April that the early access period is looking like 'two years, give or take.' Two years, eh? That's a fair chunk of time to polish a game, or to accidentally open a portal to another dimension. But hey, given how much they're planning to cram in, and the initial splash the game made (and the 'tumultuous rift' they apparently navigated), a longer incubation period might just mean something truly special emerges from the depths. I'm cautiously optimistic, like a wizard checking if their potion will explode or grant eternal life. Fingers crossed for the latter, eh?
So, get ready to dive back in, folks. It seems Subnautica 2's journey through early access is going to be an epic one, full of sprints, new stories, and hopefully, fewer accidental drownings.
Tags: Subnautica, Early Access, Survival Game, Game Development, Roadmap
Original article: Polygon