Subnautica 2 Experimental Branch Released on Steam: Saves Stay Separate

What the Experimental branch is

The Experimental branch is an opt-in Steam preview channel. Unknown Worlds says it will use the branch to show upcoming content in an earlier state and to catch problems before features reach the main Early Access build. It may also preview smaller patches and fixes between major updates.

This announcement changes the testing workflow, not the public patch baseline. Hotfix 4 remains the latest main-branch patch baseline; Experimental is the place to preview what may ship next.

Experimental saves do not transfer

The official warning is unambiguous: saves are not compatible between Experimental and the main branch. You cannot import a main-branch save into Experimental or export an Experimental save back to the main build. The game stores the two versions in separate locations, so your main saves should disappear from the in-game list while Experimental is active and reappear when you switch back.

Keep a manual copy of your main SaveGames folder before opting in anyway. The separate location reduces accidental loading, but it does not make a preview save safe from corruption or a future format change.

How to opt in on Steam

1. Open your Steam Library and right-click Subnautica 2.
2. Select Properties, then open the Game Versions & Betas tab.
3. In Beta Participation, select Experimental.
4. Close the window and let Steam download the branch before launching.

What to expect from the preview build

• More bugs. Unknown Worlds warns that Experimental builds can contain game-breaking bugs.
• No daily cadence for now. The team says builds will be uploaded shortly before wider releases rather than updated every day as the original Subnautica and Below Zero branches were.
• Short-lived test saves. Do not build your long-term world around a preview branch. Use a throwaway save or a copy you are willing to lose.
• Feedback is part of the point. The official announcement points players to a support FAQ for reporting bugs and providing feedback; include the branch and build in every report.

What Sub2Wiki changed

We added this source-linked news page, moved the Experimental announcement into the update tracker and official-resource list, and updated the save, cloud-sync, mods, and troubleshooting routes to distinguish the preview branch from the Hotfix 4 main build. We are not promoting Experimental-only values into the normal wiki until they ship to the public branch and are checked again.

Official source: Subnautica 2 Experimental Branch Released.