Story

Story & Lore

Driven from home by conflict, you board the colony ship CICADA bound for a new ocean planet. The ship's AI has other plans.

The premise

Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival adventure game set on an all-new alien world. It is the next chapter in the Subnautica universe, developed by Unknown Worlds.

Driven from your home by ongoing conflict, Alterra offers you the chance at a new life. As the colony ship CICADA shepherds you and your fellow Pioneers to your new home, something goes awry. The ship's AI insists that your mission should continue. Stranded and faced with near-insurmountable odds, you must do everything in your power to survive. The future of humanity on this world is in your hands.

Every dive is an opportunity to uncover why the ship's AI is so determined to continue the mission and what mysteries lie beneath the surface of this breathtaking new frontier. The story is built to expand throughout Early Access alongside additional biomes, creatures and craftables.

What Subnautica 2 actually is

The four pillars Unknown Worlds builds the game around, taken from the official Steam description.

Play alone or with friends

Single-player at heart, co-op by choice

Subnautica 2 is crafted as a single-player experience that you can optionally play in online co-operative multiplayer with up to three friends. You choose from four pre-designed characters, with more characters and customisation options coming throughout Early Access. Work together to explore long-forgotten ruins and learn to adapt to a planet that might not want you there.

Adapt to survive

Tools, vehicles and a base of your own

To survive the depths and make this planet your home, you use every tool at your disposal. Traverse vibrant biomes with the Tadpole submersible. Design and customise bases to return to when your adventures push you beyond the safety of shallow waters. As Early Access develops, your array of tools, equipment and vehicles grows with it.

Explore the unknown

Scan a world of biodiversity

Scan and study a rich world of biodiversity to understand life here. Discover everything from the smallest creatures to towering Leviathans. Experience the wonder, and sometimes danger, lurking around every corner. Every dive is an opportunity to uncover why the ship's AI is so determined to continue the mission.

Designed for Early Access

The world expands as the story does

Subnautica 2 is in active development. Unknown Worlds will continuously expand the world with additional biomes, creatures and craftables while expanding the narrative. You may encounter bugs, in-development features and performance issues. Player feedback is the cornerstone of the development process.

Crafted by Unknown Worlds

The studio behind Subnautica, Subnautica: Below Zero, and now Subnautica 2.

Subnautica 2 is developed by Unknown Worlds, the team behind the award-winning Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. The studio's journey began with the 2003 Half-Life mod Natural Selection, and today the team has evolved into a fully remote, globally distributed studio spanning from the United States to the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and beyond.

Defined by a philosophy of open development and over a decade of community-focused innovation, the studio invites players to dive back into the depths with a team dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the survival genre.

Walkthroughs

Story walkthroughs08

Community guides to the Subnautica 2 story beats: Blackbox runs, the Old Habitat sequence, Angel Comb hand-offs, and the Giant Alien Power Plant startup.

Subnautica 2 story questions

01Where does Subnautica 2 take place?
On an all-new alien ocean world. Subnautica 2 is the next chapter in the Subnautica universe but takes place on a different planet than the original Subnautica or Below Zero. Unknown Worlds has confirmed it is a clean-slate setting with new biomes, creatures and lore.
02Who is Alterra in Subnautica 2?
Alterra is the corporation that offers the player a chance at a new life off-world after conflict drives them from home. Alterra organises the Pioneer colony program and operates the colony ship CICADA that ferries you and the rest of the crew to the new ocean planet.
03What is the CICADA?
The CICADA is the colony vessel Alterra uses to transport Pioneers off-world to their new home. Mid-voyage the ship's AI insists the mission must continue at any cost, going against its handlers. The crew ends up stranded on the alien planet below, faced with near-insurmountable odds.
04Who do I play as in Subnautica 2?
You play one of the Pioneers, choosing from four pre-designed characters at Early Access launch. More characters and customisation options will roll out throughout Early Access. Subnautica 2 is built as a single-player experience that you can optionally play in online co-op with up to three friends.
05Do Subnautica 1 characters or creatures return?
No. Unknown Worlds has confirmed that characters, locations, creatures and vehicles from Subnautica and Below Zero do not return. Subnautica 2 is a clean slate set in the same universe but on a different planet, with a new cast and a new ecosystem built from scratch.
06Will the story finish at Early Access launch?
No. Subnautica 2 launched into Early Access on May 14, 2026 as a title in active development. The narrative will expand throughout the Early Access run alongside additional biomes, creatures and craftables. Unknown Worlds estimates roughly two to three years of Early Access, mirroring how Subnautica 1 and Below Zero were developed.