Unknown Worlds Entertainment and Krafton have announced through IGN that Subnautica 2 will finally launch in Early Access this May. It will be playable on Xbox Series X/S via Game Preview and on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The game’s delay was originally announced on July 10, 2025 to tweak “the few areas where we need to improve.” According to studio head Steve Papoutsis, the additional development time has allowed for more biomes, story chapters, and “many other features.”
This follows a legal dispute between Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton. Last year, CEO Ted Gill and other senior team members were unexpectedly dismissed from the studio, and the game’s launch was delayed. Krafton alleged that Gill and his colleagues failed to deliver a version ready for Early Access. The former leadership then filed a lawsuit, claiming Krafton was attempting to avoid paying a $250 million bonus that would have been shared among the team if Subnautica 2 had released on time. Ted Gill was recently reinstated as CEO following a court order.
The full message from Unknown Worlds Head Steve Papoutsis:
Team,
We want to take a moment to sincerely thank every member of the Unknown Worlds team and our partners. Over the past nine months, you have worked incredibly hard to bring Subnautica 2 close to the finish line. That effort has resulted in a game we are truly proud of, one that each of us and our partners at KRAFTON unanimously determined is ready for Early Access release in May.
Thanks to your dedication and talent, we’ve added more story chapters, built new creatures, and created new biomes along with many other features. With this significant progress, we have passed KRAFTON’s milestone review last week and are now ready to start our open development journey alongside our community. We have full confidence that we have reached a point where we can deliver an experience our players will love.
We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch. Our priority is getting this game into the hands of the community that has been eagerly waiting for it—and that means honoring the work you have already done to make that possible.
Update:
Krafton shared a statement in an internal memo confirming that the message is accurate and that the team has made meaningful progress following the milestone review approved earlier this month toward an Early Access release. However, the company also stated that it “respectfully disagree[s] with this week’s court ruling and intend[s] to explore all legal avenues.”
The full message:
“We can confirm that the internal message shared with the Unknown Worlds team is accurate. The team has made meaningful progress following the milestone review approved earlier this month, and has been working toward an Early Access release in May. While we respectfully disagree with this week’s court ruling and intend to explore all legal avenues, our goal is to minimize disruption to the team and to the release plan. We remain committed to an open development approach, working closely with the community as development continues, and are focused on delivering the best possible experience to players.”
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