Subnautica 2 launches May 14 on Xbox Game Pass

Unknown Worlds will release Subnautica 2 as an early access title on Thursday, May 14, with a timed rollout starting at 8 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. ET (4 p.m. BST / 5 p.m. CEST). The game will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, PC Game Pass and through Xbox Cloud, and can be played on Xbox Series X|S and PC.

The studio has published a regional launch-times map and made a preload available for Xbox Series X|S. The reported download size for Series X|S is roughly 14 GB. Players on Xbox can begin downloading the file ahead of the scheduled live window.

Subnautica 2 is a sequel to the original underwater survival game. It places players on an alien ocean world after the colony ship CICADA encounters a major failure. Survivors must manage resources, contend with environmental hazards and respond to the ship’s AI while attempting to build a foothold on the planet.

The May 14 build is an early access release rather than a final 1.0 launch. Unknown Worlds has not announced a date for the full retail release and plans to update the game during early access with additional content and fixes based on player feedback.

The original Subnautica achieved significant sales and critical attention for its underwater environments, base-building and survival systems. Unknown Worlds is using early access for the sequel to expand content and address issues before a final release.