While it's been quite some time now since the team behind Subnautica first confirmed that another entry to the series is in development, developer Unknown Worlds has now teased plans to begin early access for the next Subnautica game starting sometime in 2024. While little is yet known about the next installment of the Subnautica series, it seems like fans can expect a lengthy early access period leading up to the game's official release.

Veteran Subnautica fans will likely be familiar with how the series handles its beta access at this point, with both the first game as well as Subnautica: Below Zero each seeing extensive early access periods prior to their final releases. With the Subnautica games being developed by the indie studio Unknown Worlds, player feedback has always been a resource that's essential to the development process, so these early access periods allow for quick accumulation of feedback and bug report data while also letting players get an early glimpse into the new mechanics, environments, and stories of the Subnautica universe.

Related

A New Subnautica Game Appears to Be In Development

A new game in the Subnautica series is quietly revealed through a job posting from series development studio Unknown Worlds Entertainment.

While a lot of fans expected that the upcoming Subnautica sequel would see its own beta phase, it wasn't until a recent tweet from the official Subnautica Twitter account that an early access window was put forth. It confirms that while it's still too early for any big reveals regarding the third Subnautica game, the team expects to announce plans for the game's early access phase sometime in 2024. With recent information pointing toward a potential 2025 release date for the next Subnautica title, it could well be less than a year before fans get a first look at the next game for themselves via early access.

It's also important to keep in mind that early access builds don't necessarily reflect what a game's final version will look like, with Subnautica: Below Zero being a prime example of this. The sequel to the original Subnautica was originally set to involve a significantly different story compared to that which is seen in the game now, and though it continues to be debated among fans whether this original plot was better or worse than what was seen in the finished product, the game is still widely considered by the community to be less impactful than the original game due to the differences in design choices.

Information regarding the next Subnautica title has been slim outside of the knowledge that it's in development and currently on track for a 2025 release, but this new development suggests that the Subnautica community have a big year to look forward to. It's no surprise that the community is hungry for more details, and thankfully, it may not be too much longer until a more substantial reveal of the game itself.

Subnautica

Subnautica is a unique underwater survival release where players will have to explore the depths of a vast ocean, building bases, collecting materials, and researching wildlife along the way.

Platform(s)

Xbox One , PS4

Released

January 23, 2018

Developer(s)

Unknown Worlds Entertainment

Publisher(s)

Gearbox Publishing

Genre(s)

Survival Horror