Subnautica 2's olive branch to fend off threats is just enough to preserve the terror

A new Subnautica 2 update arrives today - the first big overhaul from Unknown Worlds since it pushed the ocean survival game out into early access. The focus for now is very much on quality-of-life improvements, with bigger implementations like multiplayer features and new biomes further down the line. The patch does at least address an issue that's been top of the priority list for a large swathe of the playerbase, by giving us ways to better fend off hostile predators and other underwater pests, although the developer seems firm in its intent to keep you from any permanent solutions.

While you still won't be able to kill the various animals bothering you in Subnautica 2, the deterrents at your disposal will feel a lot more valuable. Game Director Anthony Gallegos notes that "most creatures in the game now have good flinches, so if you smack them with the survival multitool, you'll get a reaction out of them before they flee." This should make it more easily apparent that you're fending them off. The other mode of dissuading would-be attackers is the Sonic Resonator, and this will now cause many creature types to go into a distinct stun state when struck, causing them to float awkwardly downwards.

In accordance with this, Unknown Worlds has been working to tone down nasty surprises. In the blighted regions, the Bloom Parasites that guard Angel Combs now more clearly communicate when they've noticed you and are shifting into aggressive mode. Improved voice line prioritization will help ensure that the most important messages come through immediately, instead of queueing up a whole list of lines. Field notes will now have a play button in your data bank, rather than automatically rolling when you collect them.

I'm largely on board with the direction Subnautica 2 is moving. While I can see the argument that allowing players to kill creatures directly offers a more immersive survival experience, I've always (tentatively) embraced the inherent terror of the great blue in Subnautica. This is their home, not yours, and hoping to merely deter potential threats from considering you as a snack feels much more conducive to that. I never want to feel like I'm the one who's in control of an encounter.

As for the rest of the update, biomods are being expanded. Look out for "a bunch of new biolabs" across the early game to let you discover new biomods (and swap out those you have equipped). In the later stages of the current progression, you'll be able to scan creatures with a new tool to unlock more passive biomod slots, meaning you'll no longer be limited to just a single one.

Gallegos teases new things to discover among the wrecks: "a little bit more puzzle solving, very light, a little bit more gameplay, and a lot more work on the visual cohesion." The PDA has been reorganized with new categorization and a fresh UI. Also included is a personal storage chest - this one isn't connected to fabricators or processors, because it's designed to keep your own things separate from the other players in your game.

Looking further afield, Gallegos notes that Subnautica 1.2, its "co-op centric update," will come a non-specific "some weeks after" today's release. That'll include player trade and reviving, proximity voice chat, and features like new emotes. He then clarifies that the big 'EA2' drop the team previously discussed is set for later in the year. This is where we'll be heading into the actual home of the Collector Leviathan (its current hangout spot is merely temporary). The artwork seen above also shows multiple Great Jaws, including a particularly colossal one, but worryingly lacks many other places to hide.

Gallegos adds that the region will play home to the next stage in the progression, additional story content, and another vehicle chassis to unlock. We've already been promised that we'll be able to "get stompy" in the new zone, and the teaser art seems to all but confirm a new incarnation of the PRAWN Suit for Subnautica 2. Going back to our earlier conversation, I'm curious to see how its introduction impacts our relationship with the local wildlife - although I suspect the Collector will see it as little more than another shiny trinket.

Subnautica update 1.1 launches today, Wednesday, July 8. "Again, this is just the first of all of our updates that we're going to be doing," Gallegos notes, "so if you want to continue to make your voices heard, please communicate with us anywhere you can."