The anticipated Early Access of Subnautica 2 has just released, and after a little over 30 minutes it just shattered previous Steam player count records. In mere minutes, there are more than 410,000 concurrent active Steam users diving into the depths of Subnautica 2 either solo or with their friends, and that’s a number that’s demolishing records from the franchise.
Previously, the original Subnautica peaked at 51,000 concurrent Steam players over 8 years ago now, whilst Subnautica: Below Zero managed a peak of 42,000 concurrent users on Steam about 5 years ago. Subnautica 2 is already experiencing a concurrent player count that’s eight times more its previous peak with the original title, and it’s still rising.
For those who have been following Subnautica 2, this is likely an unsurprising development as it distinguishes itself from previous games in one key way: multiplayer! Subnautica 2 natively supports online co-op multiplayer for up to four players, which is a feature that both previous Subnautica games did not support.
Online multiplayer was added to the two prior games by fans with mods, but Subnautica 2 marks the first time that developers Unknown Worlds themselves have built the game around an optional multiplayer experience.
Being a full sequel to the original game, Subnautica 2 takes players to a new planet as they flee their home world due to a raging conflict. Launching in Early Access, Subnautica 2 is built to take player feedback and iterate on itself as development continues. This follows the trend of both previous games also starting life as Early Access releases, before ultimately having a full and final launch some years later.
Unknown Worlds expect Subnautica 2 to remain in Early Access for 2 to 3 years, meaning we can anticipate a full launch at an increased price point some time before 2029. Those who are opting in for the Early Access are already singing its praises, with a ‘Very Positive’ rating achieved on Steam after just its first few minutes available. For those gaming on Xbox or Windows without Steam, it’s also available on Game Pass.
