Ocean planet
The alien ocean planet where Subnautica 2 takes place. Subnautica 2 introduces a different setting: not Planet 4546B from Subnautica 1, and not Below Zero's polar region. The ocean planet is a clean slate.
Setting and exploration
- Brand-new world. The ocean planet is unrelated to Planet 4546B. Subnautica 1 and Below Zero veterans start their resource maps and leviathan zone memory from scratch.
- Fresh ecosystem. None of the previous games' creatures return. The ocean planet has its own food chains and its own apex predators, including the Collector Leviathan in the Sparse Plains.
- Player arrival. You are part of the crew aboard Alterra's CICADA ship, alongside 40,000 other souls. Your job is to build a livable home on a planet that may not want you there.
- Four launch biomes. Sparse Plains, Graveyard, Thermal Spires, and Plateaus are confirmed for the Early Access build. More expand during EA.
- Environmental hazard. Ocean currents physically push players past their depth class. The ocean planet's water is not static — your route plan now has to account for what direction the ocean is sending you.
Why the new planet matters
Explore the new ocean by learning its landmarks, resource routes and creature behavior. Keep the Scanner ready, revisit safe areas for supplies and prepare oxygen and movement upgrades before longer journeys.
This is also a clean opportunity for the new DNA Modification system to mean something: collecting alien DNA from species nobody has seen before makes the biological upgrade tree feel like discovery rather than min-maxing.
Common questions
No. The ocean planet is a brand-new alien ocean planet introduced in Subnautica 2.
No. Unknown Worlds has stated none of Subnautica 1's or Below Zero's creatures return on the ocean planet.