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Subnautica 2 Opens Early Access With 1 Million Sales in an Hour and a Near-500,000 Steam Peak

The blowout start strengthens Unknown Worlds’ chances for a reinstated $250 million earnout following a March court ruling against Krafton.

Overview

  • Subnautica 2, which launched Thursday in Early Access, is live on PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store and on Xbox Series X|S with Game Pass access.
  • Unknown Worlds said it sold over 1 million copies about an hour after release, and Steam player counts peaked near 467,000 on day one according to SteamDB and platform charts.
  • The sequel adds online co-op for up to four players with PC–Xbox crossplay, though early testers report no revive option and that guests must start new characters when joining a friend’s world.
  • Developers outlined a two-to-three-year Early Access plan with near-term patches, including Update 1.1 for quality-of-life fixes and Update 1.2 to add co-op features like proximity voice chat, emotes, and a revive system.
  • A judge in March found Krafton breached its contract when it ousted studio leaders, reinstated the CEO, and extended the window for a potential $250 million earnout, a payout that becomes more plausible given today’s fast start.