Subnautica — patch notes and updates
Stored observation / content update:
Dated developer announcements recorded from Steam. Open the source for the complete update.
| Update | Date | Excerpt / source |
|---|---|---|
| Subnautica Free Weekend & Series Sale | 2026-04-01 | Hello Subnauts, With Subnautica 2's Early Access launch on the horizon, we're hosting a Free Weekend for Subnautica, the game that started it all. From April 2nd at 10:00 AM PT through April 6th at 9:59 AM PT, you can play Subnautica for free. If you haven't explored the vast oceans of Planet 4546B yet, or you want to invite a friend to try it out, now is the perfect time! What’s waiting for you in Subnautica Explore a vast and immersive alien oceanUnravel the mysteries hidden within an ancient alien worldDiscover unique creatures and diverse ecosystemsBuild underwater bases and craft tools to surviveInterested? Play Subnautica for free from |
| Subnautica Security Hotfix | 2025-10-03 | We have released a hotfix that addresses a security-related concern raised to us by Unity. You can read more about the specific issue here: https://unity.com/security/sept-2025-01/While the update patches out the flaw, Unity has said that, to their knowledge, no one has exploited the issue to date, and no players have been at risk. To help ensure that this security flaw can never be exploited on Subnautica or Below Zero, we have updated Unity following the guidelines provided. We have also had to make the difficult decision to disable all legacy and alternative branches of Subnautica and Below Zero, as there is no way for us to patch out the |
| Subnautica 2025 Patch | 2025-08-12 | We’re excited today to release a new patch for Subnautica! Thanks to some of the incredible development done on the mobile version of Subnautica, we were able to port that work across to other versions of the game. This update will roll out worldwide and might take some time to appear across the globe. Change LogPC & Console Added a pop-up newsfeed that can be used for one-time-only announcements.Fixed an issue where passing through the Alien Arch portals (e.g. in the Primary Containment Facility) in your PRAWN suit freezes stats like oxygen or hunger, if you exited the suit.Fixed the PRAWN suit sometimes falling through the map or getting st |
| Subnautica 2 Early Access Coming 2025 | 2024-10-17 | We’re thrilled today to unveil the first teaser trailer for Subnautica 2 and announce that we’ll be heading to Early Access in 2025! 🥳 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS0vTRl_2PQ Store pages are now live and you can wishlist Subnautica 2 on Steam. Our goal has always been to bring Early Access to as many of our community as possible, and we’re excited to develop Subnautica 2 from the start alongside more of you than ever before! Keen eyed Subnauts might have also noticed that we’ve given our profiles across the web a bit of an update. See if you can uncover all of the new details. Some are a little easier to spot than others 👀 And if you wa |
| Steam Deck Update Released! | 2023-03-07 | Hi Subnauts, We’re thrilled to release an update today for Subnautica on Steam to improve compatibility with the Steam Deck. You’ll notice that Subnautica is now marked as ‘Verified’ on the Steam Store, which means that the game should work seamlessly when you play it on the Steam Deck. Here are some of the improvements the team made to bring the Steam Deck compatibility update to life! Patch Notes Steam SDK upgrade Steamworks .NET upgraded to 20.1.0 Virtual Keyboard support for Steam Big Picture mode Fixed wrong controller stick dead zones handling (now should be easier to aim using controller) Fixed occasional black screen on game start Ref |
| Subnautica Living Large Update | 2022-12-13 | Hello Subnauts, We’re delighted to bring you the long-awaited 2.0 update to Subnautica across all platforms. This update has been a labor of love for the entire Subnautica team. As you might have seen in some of our previous blog posts, a lot of time has been spent addressing a ton of tech debt and bringing across some improved code from Below Zero. Our goal was always to bring both Subnautica and Below Zero onto unified versions of Unity, and with today’s update, that goal has been achieved. By doing this, we’ve been able to implement several quality of life features, fix many outstanding bugs, and introduce some performance improvements tha |
| Minor Update B89 Released | 2021-12-07 | This update changes the troubleshooting guide from being hosted on Steam to being hosted on our blog. Curious about our plans for Subnautica? Read our blog "What's Next for the Subnautica Series?" Sign up to the Development Newsletter to receive word every time an update is released. You can also: See update sneak peaks by following @Subnautica on Twitter Get live source code changes by following @SubnauticaSCM on Twitter See update news on Facebook Watch update summary videos on YouTube Satisfy underwater Instagram craving by following @Subnautica See our task lists & milestones on Favro Chat with fellow divers in the Subnautica Discord serv |
| Subnautica Original Soundtrack Released | 2021-04-30 | For the first time, the original Subnautica soundtrack is available to purchase from Steam. To make the soundtrack more readily available, we've moved the soundtrack from the game itself to additional content. If you already own a copy of Subnautica on Steam, you will automatically be credited with a free copy of the soundtrack to download. You can find and download this directly from the game listing in your Steam Library. Additionally, for the next seven days, any purchase of Subnautica on Steam will also come with the soundtrack. After that, it will be available to purchase for $9.99. Enjoy, and happy diving! - Unknown Worlds |
| Below Zero Seaworthy Update | 2021-02-25 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Visit the Seaworthy site to learn more! Uncover the mysteries of the all-new, fully voiced Crashed Ship story Enjoy the finalized soundtrack as you travel biome-to-biome Utilize the improved Prawn Suit controls throughout your adventuring Experience our most stable version of the game to-date with even more bug fixes Check out the added gamepad and rumble support https://youtu.be/yX5Lkk0iPU0 Crashed Ship Story Have you ever found yourself wondering about the crew of the Mercury II whilst you trawl the wreckage scattered across the ocean floor? Wonder no more! You can now disco |
| Below Zero Relics of the Past Update | 2020-10-29 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Visit the Relics of the Past site to learn more! Experience Below Zero’s story in its most complete form, now fully voiced! Check out Robin’s revamped look with a new Dive Suit and model Unlock more alien mysteries in the Precursor Caches Discover new world details, including artwork from the community Venture to the edge of the world and encounter the vicious Void Chelicerate Optionally pause your game when the PDA is open https://youtu.be/YKoHTbvV188 Complete and Fully Voiced Story Play through Below Zero from start to (almost) finish, with the most complete version of the s |
| Below Zero Stranger Pings Update | 2020-08-13 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Mystery awaits you in Stranger Pings. Investigate the abandoned Alterra bases, unlock new base decorations, experience new creature behaviors, and much more. Visit the Stranger Pings site to learn more! Dig deeper into the mysteries of 4546B with new character portraits and base detailing Decorate and personalize your base with new props and stairs for surface bases Enjoy a smoother ride – with significantly less pop-in – thanks to improved grass and terrain fading technology Discover further detail and polish work in Deep Lilypads and Iceberg Zone Experience new creature beha |
| Subnautica Micro Update Released | 2020-08-06 | Hello, Subnauts. A new update (B87) has just been released for Subnautica on the Steam, Epic, and Discord stores. We want to thanks you all once again for your continued feedback. This update contains further bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements. Players accessing Subnautica on the Epic and Discord store might find that the game will take a little longer than usual to load for the first time. This is due to us automatically migrating your saved games to a new location. We hope that this update continues to improve the Subnautica experience for you all. To stay up-to-date with development, make that you’re subscribed to the Subnautica dev |
| Below Zero Salad Days Update | 2020-06-25 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Salad Days are here on 4546B! Grab a thermos of coffee, fire up the Recyclotron, and get ready for more ice-cold adventure... and salad. Visit the Salad Days site to learn more! Visit Marguerit’s Greenhouse and uncover unique plants and all-new salad recipes React to the changing environment of Planet 4546B with player emotes Interact with the Recyclotron and dismantle crafted objects to retrieve materials Discover the bridge to Arctic Spires and a new accompanying cinematic Experience the latest additions and clues to Below Zero’s revamped story Scale the Below Zero UI with a |
| Below Zero Frostbite Update | 2020-04-30 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Start your brand new adventure on Planet 4546B with a revamped story and intro cinematic. Visit the Frostbite site to learn more! Experience the beginning of an all-new story and intro cinematic Explore the extensively reworked Glacial Basin Interact with the new cold mechanics and avoid hypothermia Discover new Snowball interactions with the Snow Stalkers Encounter escalating weather conditions Uncover further improvements and polish to existing biomes Enjoy crisper, and more clear in-game text https://youtu.be/SXnjJxMmec0 New Story and Intro Cinematic Start your brand new ad |
| Lost Ship Update | 2020-02-19 | A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Explore the Crashed Ship wreckage, descend into Deep Lilypads, experience the incredible beauty of the Aurora Borealis and more! Visit the Lost Ship site to learn more! Explore the mysterious Crashed Ship Interact with the playful Trivalve Uncover the perilous Brinicles Descend into the shadowy depths of Deep Lilypads Encounter the stunning phenomenon of the Aurora Borealis Further improvements and polish to existing biomes https://youtu.be/rHfzWyQm82A Crashed Ship The wreckage of a mysterious Crashed Ship is scattered across the ocean floor of Planet 4546B. What secrets are h |
| Deep Dive Update | 2019-11-27 | https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/5312/34f254d231b83b5b6a0d927bc1fd2ad5f499f163.gif A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Explore several new underwater biomes and encounter the fearsome creatures that lurk in the depths, as your continued adventures unfold the secrets and mysteries of Below Zero’s story. Visit the Deep Dive site to learn more! Explore several new biomes, including the captivating Crystal Caverns, mysterious Fabricator Caverns, and more Uncover the formidable Shadow Leviathan lurking in the depths Experience the terror of the Hidden Crocodile Gaze in awe at the spe |
| Subnautica Big Little Update | 2019-11-05 | Hello, Subnauts. We've just released a big, little update (B86) for Subnautica on Steam. Thanks to all of your valuable feedback, this update contains a whole host of bug fixes and improvements for Subnautica. The development team has worked hard to put together this update and we hope that it improves the Subnautica experience for you all! We will also be releasing another update to upgrade the Unity engine in the near future, so make sure that you're subscribed to the Subnautica development newsletter, follow @Subnautica on Twitter, @Subnautica on Instagram, Subnautica on Facebook, and subscribe to Subnautica on Youtube to be notified as so |
| Ice Worm Update | 2019-09-17 | https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/5312/1e39405482e41bb2276d381bfaad469b5bf76068.jpg A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Encounter the fearsome Ice Worm as you explore Arctic Spires, discover Lilypad Islands, visit the Frozen Leviathan Cave, and experience new weather-based Pengwing behaviors. Visit the Ice Worm site to learn more! Encounter the Ice Worm Experience new story updates Roam Arctic Spires Discover Lilypad Islands Investigate the Frozen Creature Site Enjoy weather-based Pengwing behaviors https://youtu.be/YVsh-9ZOkPA Ice Worm The Leviathan-class Ice Worm is ready to st |
| Arctic Living Update | 2019-07-17 | https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/5312/60b16333b5bdb1322aaef8340c48c5d8ecec61f4.gif A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Give your 4645B home the upgrade you’ve always dreamed of! With a Control Room, impressively spacious Large Room, and the all-new Jukebox, the Arctic Living update for Below Zero is going to make your base a whole lot cozier! Visit the Arctic Living site to learn more! Base Control Room Large rooms and impressive Glass Domes Jukebox and Music Disks Mineral Detector Booster Tank Prawn Suit Alterra Mining Site Encounter with a familiar voice https://youtu.be/yhd7_ |
| Spy Pengling Update | 2019-06-05 | https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steamcommunity/public/images/clans/5312/555ce781291b84867b398a1ead26efb3a9f823d9.gif A new update is available for Subnautica: Below Zero Early Access. Build a Spy Pengling for remote research and documentation, encounter the mammoth Vent Garden, explore Tree Spires, and more. Check out the Spy Pengling site to learn more! Spy Pengling community-requested feature The towering Vent Garden Tree Spires biome New weather effects Added ambient cold mechanics Fabricator UI grid Lilly Paddler creature for upcoming biome Additional improvements and fixes https://youtu.be/BZ_53oKYiVM Follow Below Zero development You ca |