Unknown Worlds Entertainment made a massive splash with the Early Access launch of Subnautica 2 on May 14. In an extraordinary debut, the title moved over 2 million units within its first 12 hours. Boasting a staggering 651,000 peak concurrent players across Steam, the Epic Games Store, and Xbox, the sequel has firmly established itself as an immediate sensation in the survival genre.
The reception has been overwhelmingly positive, with the game already securing a “Very Positive” rating from over 12,500 Steam users. While it has a long journey ahead to rival the 18.5 million lifetime sales of the original, Subnautica 2 is undoubtedly off to a record-breaking start.
The path to release was anything but smooth. Originally backed by publisher Krafton, the project became the center of a protracted legal dispute. Krafton had previously ousted Unknown Worlds co-founder Ted Gill and several other key leaders, citing dissatisfaction with the sequel’s progress and allegations that staff were being diverted to other projects. However, a successful legal challenge resulted in the reinstatement of the leadership team and, crucially, granted Unknown Worlds the publishing rights for Subnautica 2.
At the heart of the litigation was a $250 million performance-based bonus tied to specific sales and development milestones. Gill and his co-founders, Max McGuire and Charlie Cleveland, alleged that Krafton’s maneuvers were a calculated attempt to deny the studio this payout. With the performance period extended through September and the game’s explosive initial sales, it appears highly probable that the developers will secure that milestone.
Game Informer will be hosting a livestream of Subnautica 2 later today. Join us on our Twitch channel for an in-depth look at the game in action.
Have you dove into the depths of Subnautica 2 yet? Share your experiences with us in the comments!
