There’s been some concern among the Subnautica fan base that the next entry will be going for a more “Games-as-a-Service” model. It’s a trend that’s often met with negative response, but it turns out this is probably not the case for the upcoming game.
According to a recent update on Unknown World’s website – the developer behind the Subnautica series – there are no plans to implement GaaS for the next installment. This is almost certainly a response to what publisher Krafton said in a recent earnings call.
Interestingly, while writing the original draft of this story, it looks like Krafton may have changed what it originally said. The screenshot of the financial report in question from PC Gamer shows “Games-as-a-Service” being touted as a selling point for Subnautica 2. However, in the latest updated earnings report which you can see here, it no longer says that. You’ll note no use of GaaS when talking about the game, but it does mention it once in the “Scale-up Direction” part of the PDF, which is likely referring to company plans in general.
Curious-er and curious-er
However, the studio itself insists the game will feature “no season passes. No battle passes. No subscription.” The team is simply planning to keep updating the sequel “for many years to come,” similar to the current games.
On top of this, there is no plan to put emphasis on multiplayer. The statement does say that “co-op will be an entirely optional way to play the game,” but you’ll still be able to enjoy it single-player.
As for a release date, there isn’t anything concrete yet. However, Unknown Worlds says we probably won’t get an Early Access release in 2024, but there should be “a lot more information later this year.”
I think a lot of fans can breathe a little easier now, knowing that Subnautica 2 isn’t going to be subscription-based or have season passes. It’s just going to be a good old-fashioned terrifying game about thalassophobia and isolation. Huzzah!
