Subnautica 2 has made a massive splash on Steam, selling 2 million copies within its first 12 hours of availability and reaching a peak of 467,000 concurrent players on the platform. Across all platforms, including Steam, Xbox, and the Epic Games Store, the game hit a peak concurrent player count of 651,000.
Unexpected Yet Anticipated Success
The impressive launch numbers were anticipated given that Subnautica 2 was the most-wishlisted game on Steam with five million wishlists before its release. The game is a sequel to Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero, both of which were well-received.
Legal Challenges and Delays
The release comes after a turbulent period for Unknown Worlds, the game's developer. A legal dispute with the studio's owner, Krafton, had previously delayed the game's early access launch, initially planned for 2025. However, a March court ruling reinstated the studio's CEO and extended bonus eligibility for developers, allowing the team to announce a new launch date.
Early Access Plans
Unknown Worlds has stated that the early access period for Subnautica 2 is expected to last about two to three years. This period will allow the developers to incorporate player feedback before the final release.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/games/930562/subnautica-2-early-access-launch-steam-pc-epic-games-store-xbox
