Subnautica 2 has already become one of the most-played games of 2026, despite only just starting its early access window on May 14. Although the development cycle of Subnautica 2 has been fraught with controversy, that has not stopped hundreds of thousands of fans from diving into the latest project from Unknown Worlds Entertainment.
It’s no secret that Subnautica 2 is one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Although the game is currently in early access, Subnautica 2 still has plenty of features for PC and Xbox console players to check out. Given the success of the original Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero, the new sequel already had high expectations going into its early access release. Though the game has been the subject of a dispute between Unknown Worlds and Krafton, Subnautica 2‘s reputation as one of the most wishlisted Steam games of 2026 has subsequently led to a fast start.
Your Next-Gen Console Might Come From the Bottom of the Ocean: The Real Science of Subnautica 2
This is where the real world starts to look exactly like a Subnautica save file
Subnautica 2 Is The Most Played 2026 Steam Release So Far
Though Subnautica 2 is also available on Xbox Game Pass at no additional cost, Unknown Worlds’ newest game has already set a high mark on Steam. As of this writing, Subnautica 2 has a peak Steam player count of 467,582. The count was taken within a few hours of the game’s early access launch, which started at 11:00 AM Eastern on May 14. Subnautica 2‘s current player count has remained steady, with over 456,000 Steam users diving into Subnautica 2 worldwide at approximately 1:30 PM Eastern. Additionally, Subnautica 2 holds a very positive rating of 86% on Steam across 1,296 English language reviews.
In short, Subnautica 2‘s fast start has already set the bar for the most-played 2026 release on Steam so far. The previous record for games released this year was set by Resident Evil Requiem. The latest entry from Capcom’s fabled survival-horror franchise had a peak Steam player count of 344,214, set during the game’s February 27 launch. In short, Subnautica 2‘s peak Steam player count to date has beaten Resident Evil Requiem by 123,368 users. Given that Subnautica 2 is priced at $29.99 for early access, the low price makes it a more tempting offer than some of the latest Steam releases.
The early success of Subnautica 2 came after a string of controversies involving Unknown Worlds and Krafton, the studio’s ownership group. After Krafton was ordered to reinstate Unknown Worlds’ previous management team, including CEO Ted Gill, Unknown Worlds seemingly removed Krafton as the publisher of Subnautica 2 from the game’s Steam and Xbox store pages. Although Krafton is still the owner of Unknown Worlds, it is currently unknown what the ramifications of removing Krafton from Subnautica 2‘s listings will be.
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However, Subnautica 2 will remain in early access for approximately two to three years. Unknown Worlds stated that Subnautica 2‘s early access window will allow players to provide feedback that will shape how the game will turn out once its eventual 1.0 release arrives at a later date. As more biomes and features are added, time will tell how long Subnautica 2 can keep the momentum going on all platforms.
- Released
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May 14, 2026
- ESRB
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Everyone 10+ / Language, Fantasy Violence
