Subnautica 2 Players Aren't Happy About Immersion Breaking Immortal Fish

Some Subnautica 2 players are not happy with the game’s unkillable fish, having said as much in recent online discussions. While complaints about immortal fauna appear to come from a minority of early adopters, a vocal section of the Subnautica 2 community nonetheless insists that the inability to kill fish breaks immersion with little upside.

Although the Subnautica games were never short on terrifying creatures, they were always designed as primarily pacifist experiences. Small fish could be caught for food and crafting, but larger predators and Leviathans mostly functioned as environmental hazards. Killing them was technically possible, but with no direct reward and extremely limited lethal tools, most players were encouraged to avoid combat rather than seek it out. Whether for that reason or another, Unknown Worlds Entertainment has completely removed the ability to kill fauna in Subnautica 2.

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Subnautica 2 Early Access Players Are Annoyed by Unkillable Fauna

Mere days after Subnautica 2‘s May 14 release, some players already appear frustrated with the developer’s decision to make larger fauna unkillable. Reddit user DinosAndBearsOhMy argued that the change makes the game world feel less believable, saying that although they never went out of their way to kill fish in the original Subnautica, the sequel’s immortal creatures still undermine immersion. The post drew more than 2,600 upvotes and reached the front page of r/Subnautica on May 15, indicating that a vocal segment of the community shares that view.

Subnautica 2 May Never Get a Thermoblade

Several fans elaborated on the immersion complaint in the ensuing discussion, arguing that playing as a complete pacifist who only kills for food feels somewhat at odds with the premise of surviving on a hostile alien planet. “I don’t exactly like the process of being eaten alive,” one player wrote, adding that their character should at least be able to go down swinging. Another fan suggested that making fauna unkillable could also reduce the likelihood of Subnautica 2 adding a Thermoblade. In the original Subnautica and Below Zero, that knife upgrade allowed players to instantly kill and cook small fish in one strike, while also doubling as an extra potent weapon against larger aquatic creatures. With damage no longer a factor, there is less obvious need for Subnautica 2 to include this fan-favorite utility.

While unkillable fauna is proving to be a somewhat contentious design decision, Unknown Worlds Entertainment did not exactly spring the change on fans. The developer had long confirmed that Leviathans and other larger creatures would be unkillable in Subnautica 2. Although it has yet to truly delve into its train of thought behind this design change, one clear effect is that immortal fauna makes hostile ecology less “solvable” in a sense, forcing players to adapt rather than simply eliminate threats. That consideration may be especially relevant given Subnautica 2‘s built-in co-op, which could have made it much easier for groups to cheese major predators such as Reaper-style Leviathans, most of which have AI that can only track one target at a time.

Current complaints about immortal fish still appear to come from a minority of players. Looking at the bigger picture, Subnautica 2‘s early access launch has been highly successful, with Unknown Worlds Entertainment reporting 2 million sales in the first 12 hours despite the game also being available to Xbox Game Pass subscribers on day one.