Subnautica 2 launched into early access on May 14, 2026, and Unknown Worlds has now laid out what comes after that splashy debut. The plan splits into three phases: a quality-of-life pass labeled EA 1.1, a co-op-focused update called EA 1.2, and a larger content expansion further down the line. Smaller hotfixes and optimization patches will run alongside all three.
EA 1.1: Quality-of-life and systems polish
The first update is the smaller of the two named patches, focused on smoothing out friction points players hit in the opening days. The headline addition is a sprint function inside bases, which means you stop crawling through corridors when you're racing back to the fabricator with seconds of oxygen left.
Beyond movement, EA 1.1 reworks several systems that shipped in a thin state. The bio-mod loadout gets more passive slots, blight encounters, and vehicle docking are being tuned, and the fabrication flow is getting cleaned up. A new storage cache, additional PDA databank entries, and adjustments to voice log priority round out the patch.
| Area | Change in EA 1.1 |
|---|---|
| Movement | Sprint enabled inside bases |
| Bio-mods | More passive bio-mod slots, system improvements |
| Encounters | Blight encounter tuning |
| Vehicles | Docking behavior refinements |
| Crafting | Fabrication system adjustments |
| Storage | New storage cache |
| Lore | Additional PDA data entries |
| Audio | Voice log priority tweaks |
EA 1.2: Co-op, communication, and base building
The second update leans hard into multiplayer feedback collected from the opening week. Proximity voice chat is the big one, a feature players have been requesting since the game was announced. It arrives alongside player emotes, a revive system for downed teammates, and avatar customization for crews who want their divers to look different.
EA 1.2 also touches the parts of the game that everyone interacts with, co-op or not. The HUD is getting reworked, the Habitat Builder tool is being expanded, and the pinned recipes panel gains color cues so you can see at a glance which materials you're still missing.
| Area | Change in EA 1.2 |
|---|---|
| Voice | Proximity voice chat |
| Social | Player emotes |
| Co-op | Player revive system |
| Customization | Avatar customization options |
| Interface | HUD system improvements |
| Building | Upgraded base-building tools |
| Crafting | Color-coded pinned recipes |
The major content update
After the two numbered patches, Unknown Worlds shifts from polish to expansion. The team has committed to new biomes, additional creatures, more leviathans, fresh resources and tools, and at least one new vehicle. The second chapter of the main story is also slated for this larger drop.
Specifics are deliberately thin here. Creative producer Scott MacDonald has framed this phase as where the world actually grows outward, rather than fills in, and the Steam listing reinforces that the bigger updates are the ones that will introduce more substantial features.
How long early access lasts
Unknown Worlds has stated early access will run for at least two years, with internal expectations closer to two to three before a 1.0 release. The studio has not tied any roadmap milestones to fixed dates, and the team has said it would rather ship updates when they are ready than commit to a calendar.
The price set at launch is $29.99 on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox, with Game Pass access included through Game Preview. Updates released during early access are included for anyone who buys in now, and the studio has indicated the price will rise before the full release.
What is not on the roadmap
A PlayStation 5 version is not part of the early access plan and has not been announced. An in-game map is also not coming. Unknown Worlds has confirmed that Subnautica 2 will not add a built-in map at any point, keeping the same navigation philosophy as the original Subnautica and Below Zero. The Compass, beacons, and PDA scanner remain the intended toolkit.
Between EA 1.1's sprint button, EA 1.2's voice chat and revive system, and the eventual world expansion, the trajectory is clear enough: tighten the launch experience first, harden co-op second, then grow the map. The dates will land when they land, and the studio has been upfront that ongoing hotfixes will keep arriving in between.