Subnautica 2 is a multiplayer-focused live-service game, publisher Krafton has revealed.
Writing in its latest financial report, Krafton described Subnautica 2 as a “multiplayer sequel to the original IP pursuing fandom snowballing”, which is a garbled way of describing the game.
Krafton said Subnautica 2 lets players “explore an oceanic world in stunning stylized graphics powered by Unreal Engine 5”, with “single or one to four player co-op to uncover the mysteries on an entirely new alien planet”, alongside a “game-as-a-service model with enhanced replayability.”
Subnautica is a hugely successful indie game that first emerged in 2018, then saw a follow-up, dubbed Below Zero, in 2021. IGN’s Subnautica review returned a 9/10. We said: “Subnautica's a survival game with focus and an excellent sci-fi story, but its greatest achievement is its underwater horror.”
We were equally impressed with Below Zero: “Subnautica: Below Zero is a leaner, meaner standalone expansion to Subnautica that improves on the story and mechanics, but doesn't give us as much room to explore,” we said. Subnautica and Below Zero are single-player game, although modders added multiplayer post-launch.
The industry appears to be struggling with live-service games after a number or recent efforts failed to move the needle and some were even cancelled before launch. Perhaps most notably, Sony canned Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us multiplayer game amid a more general pull back on live-service at PlayStation. Naughty Dog will now focus on single-player games.
Previously successful live-service games have also hit hard times. Bungie’s Destiny 2 has struggled commercially, and Fortnite maker Epic has announced huge layoffs. Meanwhile, some single-player only games saw enormous success in 2023, with the likes of Hogwarts Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Baldur’s Gate 3 blowing up sales records. Rocksteady’s recently released Suicide Squad Kill the Justice League suffered ahead of launch for its association with the live-service model.
As for Subnautica 2, it’s down for release at some point in 2024, which suggests Krafton will reveal it sooner rather than later. It will be interesting to see how its live-service model works.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
