We've known that Subnautica 2 was in the works for some time now, with the official announcement actually being made via PowerPoint. And now, almost a year later, we've finally got to see the first trailer for the upcoming sequel.
Shown at the Xbox Partner Preview event last night, alongside games like Bloober Team's Cronos: The New Dawn and Remedy Entertainment's Firebreak, Subnautica 2 gave players a brief look at the underwater world alongside confirmation that early access will launch in 2025.
The trailer starts with a young explorer collecting data under the waves. Everything looks peaceful until the rock he's studying suddenly stands up to reveal itself as a giant crab, knocking the diver down into a black abyss. After blacking out, the explorer wakes up to find that he's low on oxygen—before things get too bad, another scientist appears in a Seamoth to rescue him.
Some players are asking if two researchers working together means there's going to be co-op in the sequel. "It looks like we finally get to dive with friends," one player asks. While it's true that there will be up to four-player co-op, this was actually confirmed a while ago during an earnings release earlier this year.
But just before the second scientist can actually save the day, a terrifying beast emerges from the dark background, resembling a ghost leviathan. This creature is probably something entirely new, but it looks just as big as a leviathan, so whatever it is, it's likely bad news.
As for all the other creatures shown in the trailer, we see a new colourful fish swim around a coral reef (unfortunately not the one that players found in hidden screenshots from the first game), as well as a bigger animal, a giant crab. Although only appearing briefly, this crustacean seems to have stolen the show.
"Giant CRABS!!!" one player says. "Why is no one talking about the giant CRABSSS!!!! CARSINISATION IS CANNON [sic] TO SUBNAUTICA!!!!" There are actually a few crustaceans already in Subnautica, like cave crawlers or rockpunchers, proving that Carsinisation is the ultimate form of evolution even in Subnautica. But people don't seem too upset to find out more crustaceans are joining the club: "More big ol crabs hype woooo."
Otherwise, most players are just happy to have confirmation of a new Subnautica game. "There's often the question - what game do you wish you could experience for the first time again, with Subnautica being my #1 answer," another player says. "Even if there are biomes with nothing in it, even if there are areas with no blueprints, I still can't wait to explore every inch of the map purely for the sense of adventuring in what otherwise feels like a living, breathing world."
