Despite launching in the middle of an active court battle, with its original publisher stripped from the Steam page and its studio heads only recently reinstated after being wrongfully fired, Subnautica 2 has become one of the fastest-selling games of 2026. The sequel sold over one million copies in its first hour of early access on May 14 – and doubled that figure within 12 hours.
The Numbers Are Staggering
Within the first 30 minutes of launch, Subnautica 2 pulled over 370,000 concurrent players on Steam alone. That number climbed above 460,000 by the end of the day – beating the peak player count of the original Subnautica by a wide margin. When accounting for players on the Epic Games Store and Xbox, peak concurrent figures across all platforms reached approximately 651,000.
By the 12-hour mark, the game had crossed 2 million copies sold. That is a remarkable number for an early access title and one that carries extra weight given the context: the $250 million earn-out bonus that Krafton allegedly tried to avoid paying is reportedly tied to exactly this kind of commercial performance milestone.
A Quick Recap of the Corporate Chaos
For those just catching up: Krafton, which acquired developer Unknown Worlds in 2021, fired studio CEO Ted Gill and other senior leadership ahead of the planned launch. Gill sued, alleging the move was designed to avoid paying a contractual bonus. A Delaware court sided with him, ordered reinstatement, and noted in its ruling that Krafton’s CEO had consulted an AI chatbot – ChatGPT – to help devise the strategy for removing studio leadership. Krafton has since been removed from the Subnautica 2 Steam page entirely, with Unknown Worlds now listed as both developer and publisher.
What the Game Actually Is
Subnautica 2 is an underwater survival and exploration game set on a new alien ocean planet. It introduces cooperative multiplayer for up to four players – a first for the series – while building on the atmosphere and mechanics that made the original a cult classic. Steam reviews are currently sitting at “Very Positive,” with players highlighting the visuals, the sense of scale, and solid performance at launch. Unknown Worlds has stated the game is expected to remain in early access for approximately two to three years.
You can pick it up now on Steam and Xbox Series X|S.
