Subnautica 2 dev confirms there's no gen AI "at all" in its survival sequel

Subnautica 2 has been on a real rollercoaster of development in recent years, with Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton clashing over creative control and the leadership team. With that finally behind us, the long-awaited successor to one of the best survival games is nearly upon us, and the studio creating it has put to bed another potential concern. Unknown Worlds confirms that, despite Krafton's talk of becoming an "AI-first company," there has been absolutely no use of generative AI involved in the creation of Subnautica 2.

In the wake of confirming the Subnautica 2 release date, which is just two weeks away, Unknown Worlds Creative Media Producer Scott MacDonald has stated that the studio is "not using generative AI in Subnautica 2 at all." Speaking to Eurogamer, he explains, "Krafton has basically said, 'Here are all the tools. If you want to use them, you can.'" He adds that there's "no mandate" to do so; "We decided on this particular project that it doesn't suit us, it doesn't suit our pipeline, or what we want to do."

Elaborating further, MacDonald remarks that Subnautica 2 is fully human-made. "When we mention AI, it's all traditional: a programmer has physically gone in and done it themselves, like [the] creature AI." This has become a common point of confusion due to the similar terminology, but MacDonald is clear in his details. "We're using Unity Blackboard and things like that. It's basically all hand-done."

MacDonald does note during the interview that generative-AI tools are "interesting technology, but not something we're using at all." Design Lead Anthony Gallegos adds, "I think [Krafton] is smart enough to know that if we had to use those tools it could be disruptive to our process at this point. So a mandate would be harmful to the development of the game."

After the ups and downs that Subnautica 2 has gone through, it's pleasing to see the waters finally settling at the time it matters most. Krafton recently expressed, in the wake of the legal ruling that saw Unknown Worlds president Ted Gill reinstated, that it "is currently focused on successfully supporting the Early Access launch of Subnautica 2."

The reassurance that Subnautica 2 is a fully human-made product from the water's surface down to the depths of the ocean floor is another step towards a smooth launch. It means I don't need to worry about where it's come from, and whether its designs are truly original. Instead I can return to much more foundational concerns, like the leviathan-class organisms lurking in the depths and awaiting my arrival. Wonderful.