Published Apr 30, 2026, 1:00 PM EDT

The underwater exploration game was supposed to be released last summer

Image: Unknown Worlds Entertainment/Krafton

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Subnautica 2 is set to launch in early access next month on May 14 . It comes after a long and messy pre-release period, including the firing of executives, a legal battle over a prospective $250 million payout , a reinstated CEO , and a release window announcement before that CEO could properly review the game .

Part of that mess was a delay — in July 2025 Krafton pushed back Subnautica 2 ’s early access release when it fired several Unknown Worlds Entertainment executives. Ousted Unknown Worlds co-founder and director Charlie Cleveland was one of the executives let go. At the time he argued Subnautica 2 was ready to launch. “We know that the game is ready for early access release and we know you’re ready to play it.…