Subnautica 2 Early Access Officially Set for May 2026 Following a Major Krafton Legal Dispute and Reinstatement of Unknown Worlds Leadership to Ensure Game Features Like Co op and New Biomes Are Ready
The release date for Subnautica 2 Early Access has been officially announced as May 2026. The game will be available on both PC and Xbox platforms. The studio will begin its open development phase according to this announcement because it will start developing the game through collaboration with its community.
A judge issued a crucial court ruling which enabled the release of the May date. A judge has ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds. Krafton dismissed Gill together with other senior staff which resulted in a legal dispute about a $250 million team bonus that depended on the game's launch schedule.
Key details of the legal dispute included
- Bonus Deadline Krafton must extend the deadline for the $250 million bonus payout to the development team according to a court ruling.
- Dismissal Overturned The court rejected Krafton's claims that leadership was checked out, allowing the original management team to return to the project.
- Controversial Claims The litigation featured intense accusations which included claims about Krafton's use of AI to find ways to avoid bonus payments and allegations of racial bias from fired staff members.
Krafton will minimize disruption to the development team while handling the remaining litigation because they need to ensure the May launch will occur as scheduled.
The development team at Unknown Worlds extended the sequel's scope after they received additional development time. The team passed a critical milestone review last week because they confirmed that the following features are ready for the Early Access build
- Expanded Exploration The world now includes new biomes together with deep sea predators.
- Co op Multiplayer Players can use the dedicated co op mode to explore the ocean together with other players.
- Story Progression The initial release build now contains new story chapters together with new unique creatures.
Steve Papoutsis head of Unknown Worlds reported that his team spent the past nine months working on the core systems which they need for their public launch. The open development journey starting in May will focus on balancing these new systems and adding content based on player feedback.
The two companies Unknown Worlds and Krafton have reached a consensus which allows project work to continue without corporate disputes blocking progress although an exact day in May remains unspecified. Players can expect a more detailed roadmap of the Early Access rollout as the May window approaches.
source: ign
