Two million copies sold in a matter of days. Subnautica 2 did not arrive quietly.
The underwater survival sequel launched into early access this week after months of legal drama involving fired executives and a disputed $250 million bonus payout. Despite all that noise, Unknown Worlds Entertainment delivered a game that players are already calling one of the best things on the subscription service right now. It landed on Xbox Game Pass alongside two other genuinely interesting titles, making this one of the stronger weekends the service has had in a while.
Co-op base building in Subnautica 2
The game everyone is talking about
Subnautica 2 sold 1 million copies within its first hour on Steam and has since crossed 2 million. On Steam alone, it has accumulated over 13,000 "Very Positive" player reviews at the time of writing. Those numbers are remarkable for any early access launch, let alone one that spent months mired in public controversy.
The core loop will feel familiar to anyone who played the original. You explore an alien ocean, document creatures, gather resources, and build a base to survive. What's new is co-op, which lets you do all of that with friends. Polygon's early impressions described it as "definitely more of the same, but better," which is honestly the right pitch for a sequel to a game that was already excellent.
Here's the thing: the legal saga surrounding the game's development actually makes this launch more impressive. The original founding team was fired, then a judge ordered the CEO rehired, all while the game was being built. That it shipped in a state players are genuinely enjoying says something about the team at Unknown Worlds.
Subnautica 2 is in early access, meaning the full release is still ahead. The development team has already published a roadmap described as "absolutely massive," so the current build is a starting point, not the finished product.
For players jumping in fresh this weekend, check out the gaming guides to help get your bearings before you hit the deep ocean.
Two more worth your time
Black Jacket is the kind of game that sounds like a gimmick until you actually play it. The premise is simple: it's Blackjack, but you're trying to escape hell, and the cards have abilities that complicate everything. Some cards can reduce your total. Others can be swapped between players. You have a limited pool of coins, and losing them all ends your run. What most players miss is the narrative layer underneath the card mechanics: each run peels back a little more of the story about who your character is and why they ended up in hell in the first place. It is a tighter, stranger game than the Blackjack wrapper suggests.
Black Jacket's hell-escape card loop
Call of the Elder Gods takes a different angle entirely. Developed by Out of the Blue Games, it is a narrative adventure with puzzle design that leans into Lovecraftian mystery, the kind of game where the environment holds as many clues as the dialogue. Polygon's impressions noted that the puzzles escalate meaningfully as you progress, with the developer showing real growth in how it builds observational challenges. Think Indiana Jones stumbling into a cosmic horror investigation, and you have the right frame of mind going in.
What this batch says about May on Game Pass
May is already shaping up as one of the better months for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. Mixtape earned strong word of mouth from nostalgic players earlier in the month, and Forza Horizon 6 is being called one of the best games of the year so far. The three titles added this week slot in across very different genres, which means there is genuinely something here regardless of what you are in the mood for.
The key here is that Subnautica 2 in particular represents the kind of day-one Game Pass addition that justifies the subscription on its own. A game that sold 2 million copies and is generating this much community buzz being available at no extra cost to subscribers is exactly the value proposition Microsoft has been building toward.
Check out our game reviews for deeper takes on the biggest titles hitting the service this month, and keep an eye on the Subnautica 2 roadmap as Unknown Worlds continues to build out the early access content over the coming months.
