Setting
Ocean planet
A brand-new alien ocean planet. Not Planet 4546B from Subnautica 1 and Below Zero. None of the previous games' creatures return; The ocean planet has its own ecosystem and food chains.
Explore the ocean setting → Launch archive · May 14, 2026
Subnautica 2 Launch Roster Archive
This is the May 14, 2026 launch archive. It preserves the launch-era overview of named biomes, Collector Leviathan, Tadpole and core systems. Use the current wiki directories for the expanded Early Access content.
Ship
CICADA
You are part of the crew aboard Alterra's CICADA ship, tasked with creating a home for you and the other 40,000 souls aboard.
Read the CICADA entry →4 confirmed biomes
Identified from dev vlog asset files, official screenshots, and Xbox Wire / Unknown Worlds posts. More biomes are expected to land in EA patches.
Sparse Plains
Starting region in Early Access. Open visibility, fewer cover spots, primary hunting ground of the Collector Leviathan.
Graveyard
Mid-depth biome referenced across official media.
Thermal Spires
Hydrothermal terrain with vertical spires. Expect heat hazards and unique resource nodes.
Plateaus
Layered shelf terrain that breaks up the seafloor and creates depth transitions players can plan around.
Featured launch creature
Collector Leviathan was a prominent launch-era threat. The current creature directory covers the wider roster and its gameplay roles.
Collector Leviathan
Leviathan Apex
Apex threat tied to Sparse Plains route planning.
Want the deep dive? Collector Leviathan has its own entry with evasion tactics.
Confirmed player vehicle
Tadpole Submersible
Compact, agile submarine suited for early exploration. First confirmed player vehicle for Subnautica 2; serves as the main evasion vehicle vs. the Collector Leviathan.
Tadpole is the player vehicle featured in this launch archive. See the current vehicle guide and roadmap for later additions.
Read the Tadpole entry →Core mechanics confirmed
DNA Modification
Collect creature DNA to unlock biological upgrades for the player. This is the system that was originally cut from Subnautica 1, now reintroduced as a core progression line.
Ocean currents
Downward and lateral currents can physically pull players past their depth class, turning a casual reef sweep into a forced deep dive. Route planning now includes which way the ocean is willing to send you for free.
Sculptural base building
No more rigid grid. Bases use a sculptural system that lets you carve organic shapes that integrate with the seafloor.
Shared inventory (co-op default)
In co-op, every storage locker you build is accessible to all players in that world. Items carried on your character are still personal. Non-shared inventories are on the roadmap.
Shared Data Entries (co-op)
Recipes and scan logs unlock for the whole party as soon as one player scans something new. Bypasses the duplicate-scan tax that slowed older co-op mods.
Source policy
On this page
Only entries with an official Unknown Worlds, Xbox Wire, or Steam source. If a fact is repeated by three news sites but never said by the developer, it's not here.
Not on this page
Fabricated item names, recipe lists scraped from Subnautica 1 and relabeled, "interactive maps" without coordinates, or creature classifications that drop a Leviathan into the furniture category.
Sources we used
Launch overview dated May 14, 2026. Use the current creature and resource directories for individual species, materials and routes.
Where to go next
Once you know what's real, the rest of the site builds on it.