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After months of controversy, delays, and courtroom drama, Subnautica 2 has finally arrived in early access, and the response from players has been massive.

Developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment confirmed that the survival title sold 2 million copies within just 12 hours of launch. The game was released in early access on May 14 for PC and Xbox Series S/X and quickly climbed to the top of Steam’s global best-seller charts.

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Even before the official early access release, the game had already crossed 1 million copies sold. Once players got access, the momentum only grew stronger, helping the sequel become one of Steam’s biggest early access launches in recent memory.

Steam Player Numbers Surge Within Hours

The game’s launch day numbers were equally impressive on Steam. According to SteamDB data, Subnautica 2 reached a peak concurrent player count of 467,582 players just hours after release.

That figure pushed the survival title into Steam’s list of most-played games, showing how strong the anticipation around the sequel had become. The game had also crossed 5 million wishlists before launch, giving an early sign that interest was already sky-high.

The Legal Battle Behind The Launch

The successful release comes after a messy dispute between Krafton and the former leadership team at Unknown Worlds.

Back in July last year, Krafton announced a major management reshuffle at the studio. CEO Ted Gill and studio co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire were replaced by Steve Papoutsis, a move that surprised many fans.

Soon after, reports claimed that Krafton had delayed the early access release of Subnautica 2. The delay became controversial because Unknown Worlds was reportedly eligible for a $250 million bonus if the studio achieved specific revenue targets before the end of 2025.

Many believed launching the game earlier could have helped the developer hit those targets.

The situation eventually turned into a legal fight, with Gill, Cleveland, and McGuire filing a lawsuit against Krafton. Earlier this year, a judge reportedly ruled that Krafton had breached its agreement and ordered Ted Gill to be reinstated as CEO of Unknown Worlds.

Developers Promise More Updates During Early Access

Despite the controversy surrounding development, player excitement around the sequel never really faded.

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Fernando Melo, executive producer of Subnautica 2, described the early access launch as the “beginning of an adventure” and said community feedback would help shape the game moving forward.

Subnautica 2 is currently available in early access on PC through Steam, Epic Games Store, and the Xbox app, along with Xbox Series S/X consoles.


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