# Subnautica 2 development and early access

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/subnautica-2-development-and-early-access
> Updated: 2026-08-20T00:51:34.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 2.

Unknown Worlds Entertainment has initiated the development and testing phases for Subnautica 2. The studio first launched experimental builds via Steam and the Xbox Insider Program to gather community feedback and identify stability issues before a general early access release.

Following this, the studio released its second Early Access update, which focused on cooperative gameplay features. These technical additions included proximity voice chat with spatial audio, a player revive system, emotes, and improved inventory sharing and location tagging. 

In conjunction with the software update, the developer announced a $100,000 donation to the non-profit organization ‘The Ocean Cleanup’ to support ocean conservation efforts.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-20: Subnautica 2 receives second Early Access update and ocean conservation donation

Unknown Worlds has released the second Early Access update for ‘Subnautica 2’, introducing proximity voice chat and a revive system, while donating $100,000 to ‘The Ocean Cleanup’.

8 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/subnautica-2-receives-second-early-access-update-and-ocean-conservation-donation

### 2026-08-12: Unknown Worlds launches Subnautica 2 experimental builds

Unknown Worlds Entertainment has released an experimental version of Subnautica 2 on Steam and Xbox for players to test upcoming content and help identify bugs before official updates.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unknown-worlds-launches-subnautica-2-experimental-builds

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Cite as: Subnautica 2 development and early access. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/subnautica-2-development-and-early-access