Subnautica 2 confirms its early access and will arrive on Xbox Game Pass in May

The long-awaited submarine game will debut in early access on PC and Xbox.

More stories in the category Xbox Game Pass

• Xbox Game Pass: one of the most anticipated titles will arrive in mid-April
• Available two new games for Xbox Game Pass Premium
• By surprise, new game now available on Xbox Game Pass

After months of uncertainty surrounding its development, Subnautica 2 finally has a release date for players to start exploring. Unknown Worlds has confirmed that the game will launch in early access in May 2026 and will be available on PC, Xbox Series, and Xbox Game Pass from the very beginning.

The announcement comes after a tumultuous period for the project, marked by a legal conflict between part of the original team and publisher Krafton, a situation that ultimately delayed the game’s release until this year.

Subnautica 2 is coming to Xbox and Game Pass in early access

According to the studio, the initial release will be in early access, allowing players to start exploring the new underwater world while the team continues to expand the game with content and improvements during its development.

The project has made significant progress over the past few months, and according to Steve Papoutsis, current director of Unknown Worlds, the game is now at a point where it can start receiving players and evolving with their feedback.

The development of Subnautica 2 was also shrouded in controversy last summer. In July 2025, several former executives from the studio sued Krafton, accusing the company of delaying the game’s release to prevent the team from reaching certain financial objectives that included a multimillion-dollar bonus.

Just a few days ago, a court ruled in favor of former CEO Ted Gill, ordering his reinstatement and granting the studio nine additional months to meet its revenue targets, which has allowed the project to move forward.

With this conflict now resolved and early access confirmed for May 2026, it’s likely that we’ll see new gameplay videos and more details about the eagerly awaited return of the underwater saga in the coming weeks.