Subnautica 2 base building - all changes explained

Want to know how base building has changed in Subnautica 2? In the underwater world of Subnautica, it's a smart move to build multiple bases across the planet, ensuring you're never too far from a safe space. Subnautica 2 has made the process of building the perfect home easier than before, simplifying the tools and workflows to make the experience accessible for everyone.

Subnautica 2 may take place on a different planet, but many of the base-building principles from the original should still apply to the upcoming PC game. We've taken a close look at all the dev vlogs ahead of the Subnautica 2 release date to see how the base-building mechanics have changed, giving you a head start when you're able to dive into the water.

The base-building mechanics in Subnautica 2 have been redesigned from the ground up, introducing techniques that "haven't been used in games this way before," according to Milan Singh, senior gameplay engineer at Unknown Worlds, in the Building Bases dev vlog.

With the introduction of Subnautica 2 multiplayer, you can round up your mates to help you build your next base. As Ben Henry, lead hard surface artist, points out, remember to be mindful about who you let into your base; there's nothing to stop someone from looting all your resources once they're inside.

Procedural system

The biggest change comes in the form of the new procedural system, which moves away from building with fixed pieces in favor of a sculptural system, allowing you to seamlessly construct bases without muddling through menus. For example, when placing windows in your base, you can create them to match the shape you're after, rather than opting for any predefined shapes.

Circular base pieces

There have been some concerns among the community about the move away from circular bases in favor of blocky parts, but we got a glimpse of these throwback designs in the dev vlog.

It should be noted that circular base pieces may be early in the development process, as we haven't seen many examples of fully round rooms in any pre-release gameplay. The procedural system may mean that circular pieces are more challenging to deal with, so this might not be something we see until closer to the game's full launch.

Customization options

You're also able to paint your base, change the color of any lights you have, and disable any lights to change the ambiance of your space. Kiel McDonald, base design lead, does preface this by saying that this functionality will be available in the future, which suggests it won't be ready for the early access launch.

That's everything there is to know about Subnautica 2 base building. Keep an eye on this page, as we'll be updating it whenever new information drops ahead of the survival game's release. While you're here, make sure your PC is ready for launch by checking out the Subnautica 2 system requirements first.