Subnautica 2 full release date: Early Access could last 2 to 3 years

Subnautica 2 is already playable, but the finished game is still a long way off. Here’s what Unknown Worlds has said about version 1.0.

When is the Subnautica 2 full release?

Unknown Worlds hasn’t announced a date for the full release, also called 1.0. The game entered Early Access on May 14, 2026, and the Early Access notes on its Steam page say the studio expects that phase to take about 2 to 3 years, based on its previous Early Access games, while warning that it’s hard to predict. If that estimate holds, 1.0 would arrive somewhere between mid-2028 and mid-2029.

The full version is meant to be more polished and feature-rich than the Early Access launch, with more biomes, creatures, craftables, features and story added through updates along the way.

Will the price go up at 1.0?

Yes. Subnautica 2 costs $29.99 in Early Access, and Unknown Worlds says the price will increase after Early Access ends. It hasn’t announced the price of the full version.

Which platforms is it on?

You can buy it on Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox, where it’s sold as an Xbox Game Preview for $29.99, playable on Xbox consoles and Windows PC. No PS5 version has been announced.

On Oct. 15, 2026, Unknown Worlds started a new dev vlog series with creative director Anthony Gallegos, which it calls the voyage to Early Access 2, setting the stage for the game’s next big content update. There’s no date for it yet. The roadmap the studio shared on May 15 said the next big drop would expand the world, biomes, creatures, resources, tools and vehicles, and bring the next chapter of the story.

So far, the game has had two major updates. Adaptive Measures, version 1.1, arrived on July 8, 2026, with quality-of-life fixes such as a field-of-view slider. Buddy System, version 1.2, followed on Aug. 19, 2026, with proximity chat, player revives, emotes, player trading and two new characters. An Experimental branch on Steam has let players test changes early since Aug. 12.

What is Subnautica 2?

It’s an underwater survival adventure on a new alien world, and the next chapter in the Subnautica series. You’re one of the Pioneers on Alterra’s colony ship CICADA, which is supposed to take you to a new home after conflict drives you from your old one, until something goes wrong and you’re left stranded. You explore biomes in the Tadpole submersible, build and customize bases and dig into long-forgotten ruins.

It’s built as a single-player game that you can also play in online co-op with up to three friends, choosing from pre-designed characters. Before launch, it passed 5 million wishlists on Steam.

For other survival games, see our Light No Fire release date and ARK 2 release date pages, which are both still waiting on a date.

This page is updated as soon as Unknown Worlds announces a date for Early Access 2 or the full release of Subnautica 2.