Subnautica will finally leave Early Access later this month

We like the deep-sea-living sim Subnautica quite a bit around here. Enough to include it among our choices for "best underwater games" last summer, which is
admittedly something of a niche sub-genre—but still a valid recognition of its quality. It's also not terribly far off of two million owners on Steam. That makes it easy to forget that the game is actually still in Early Access.

But after three years of availability, and recent updates that include stealth submarine technology, high-fiving fish, and eye candy, developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment announced today that the full launch is scheduled to take place on January 23.

You're invited to a very special livestream, four years in the making. Please join us in 14 days for the launch of Subnautica, live from @MontereyAq in California: https://t.co/K7aGHx2xNb pic.twitter.com/X0gAfcT6UfJanuary 9, 2018

The livestream will include the premiere of the Subnautica cinematic trailer, developer interviews, actual sea creatures (although I'm guessing they won't be interviewed) and the "live pushing of the Big Red Launch Button." The stream will begin at 6:15 pm ET/9:15 pm PT, and will be carried on Twitch. You can sign up for a reminder at unknownworlds.com.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.