Subnautica 2 has become the third major title to leak ahead of its official release, with gameplay footage and screenshots appearing online just days before the game's scheduled early access launch on May 14 for Xbox Series X/S and PC.
According to posts on Reddit, an unidentified person streamed a working copy of the game, allowing players to capture and share material showing early gameplay sections and the PC menu system, including options for windowed settings and visual upscaling. Publisher Krafton has been contacted for comment on the incident.
The leak comes as the gaming industry faces an unusual cluster of pre-release breaches. Forza Horizon 6 emerged ahead of schedule after what remains an unclear distribution error, with developer Playground Games responding by issuing hardware bans, including one that extends until the year 10,000 for at least one player caught playing the leaked build. The studio had warned anyone accessing the leaked version would face franchise-wide and hardware bans. Microsoft and Playground Games have not publicly disclosed how the leak occurred, though early speculation pointed to a potential error on Steam's end. SteamDB later issued a statement suggesting someone with early access to the build was responsible rather than the platform itself.
LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight experienced its own unusual compromise when a Reddit user discovered they could play the full 45.2GB launch version of the game after purchasing a digital code at Walmart. Speculation within the community indicated the code had been incorrectly assigned to download the complete game rather than a smaller 340MB pre-order file, though this appears to have since been patched.
Subnautica 2 is a multiplayer-enabled survival adventure set on an alien ocean world where players explore biomes, discover creatures, and craft vehicles, tools, and bases to survive. The title marks a notable moment for the franchise given the public dispute between developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton that preceded this partnership, a conflict that now appears resolved.
The game is available for preorder and preload on Steam, Xbox Series X and S, and Epic Games Store, with a Game Pass launch planned. No PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch 2 versions have been announced.
Author Emily Chen: "Three leaks in a week suggests something systemic broke in how these publishers are controlling early access, and the wild punishments aren't going to stop determined players from streaming what they find."
Comments