Subnautica 2 Early Access Release

Subnautica 2 Will Get Early Access In May 2026 After Some Legal Drama

Soumyakanti Saha

Published - Mar 18, 2026, 04:59 PM

3 min

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Summary

After a long legal battle, Unknown Worlds finally got the green light for Subnautica 2's early access release.
Ted Gill will be reinstated as the CEO of the company.
This article explores everything we know so far on this topic.

The action-adventure fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as a recent report from IGN has confirmed that Subnautica 2 will move forward with its early access phase. According to the officials, it'll be available somewhere around May 2026, after a couple of months' hiatus. No further updates have been revealed yet. Keeping that in mind, this article will explore everything we know so far, and we'll put a spotlight on a bit about the controversy.

Subnautica 2 Early Access Release Window

The story began in 2025 when Krafton, Subnautica 2's publisher, fired Unknown World's CEO, Ted Gill and his colleagues. While it was very unexpected for the whole gaming world, Krafton apparently mentioned that the development team failed to deliver a proper project that is ready for an early access phase.

Subnautica 2 Screenshot — Subnautica 2 gameplay (Image Credits: Krafton)

And that's when a long legal battle started between the two bodies. The leaders of Unknown World filed a lawsuit asking for a payout of a $250 million bonus split among the whole team. Steve Papoutsis, the current head, has shared a message with the whole team. He said:

Team,
We want to take a moment to sincerely thank every member of the Unknown Worlds team and our partners. Over the past nine months, you have worked incredibly hard to bring Subnautica 2 close to the finish line. That effort has resulted in a game we are truly proud of, one that each of us and our partners at KRAFTON unanimously determined is ready for Early Access release in May.

A few days back, finally, Subnautica 2 Early Access News saw some ray of hope after the recent court ruling. The judge had ordered the publishers to extend the original deadline. Not only that, Ted Gill will be reinstated in his original role. Therefore, it's certainly a big W for the Unknown Worlds team.

Check out our recent coverage of The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin Codes for March 2026.

Subnautica 2 Early Access Release Date

Subnautica 2 gameplay (Image Credits: Krafton)

As discussed, the officials have only confirmed that Subnautica 2's early access will be revealed during May 2026. As per norms, players should be able to navigate to the Steam or Xbox platforms to register themselves for the early access. Unlike its previous iteration, Subnautica 2 will feature co-op multiplayer so that players can enjoy it more. We'll make sure to add more information if we get our hands on something else. That's all we had to discuss on the early access phase of the underworld action-adventure world. Till then, check out our latest coverage of Death Stranding 2 PC Launch Time.