A player using an illegally obtained copy of Subnautica 2 has been publicly called out by the game's developer after reaching out for support, apparently unaware that contacting Unknown Worlds would expose their piracy.
The underwater adventure title launched in early access this week, but leaked builds had already begun circulating online before the official release. When the unauthorized versions started spreading, Unknown Worlds issued a statement acknowledging the problem while cautioning that the leaked copies were "incomplete development versions" that "do not reflect the content or gameplay experience being prepared for the official release."
The specific technical issue the pirate encountered remains unclear, but when they contacted Unknown Worlds for help, a developer named Anthony quickly identified the problem. "It took some doing, but this guy self-reported," Anthony wrote on the game's official Discord, according to reporting by RespawnFirst. "Thanks for pirating a game that I've spent years working on. I'm disappointed that you'd do that when it's kind of how we make our living. I hope you rethink your life choices."
The exposure comes as part of a broader wave of gaming leaks. Days before Subnautica 2's early access launch, players managed to access pre-ordered copies of LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight ahead of schedule. Forza Horizon 6 also faced leaks, with developer Playground Games issuing a stark warning that those caught playing unauthorized builds could face "franchise-wide and hardware bans." At least one player reported receiving a hardware ban that extends to the year 10,000.
Despite the circulation of illegitimate copies, Subnautica 2 has experienced explosive commercial success. The game sold 2 million copies in its first 12 hours of early access availability. Peak concurrent players surpassed 651,000 across all platforms, with Steam alone hitting over 467,000 simultaneous players at its height. That figure represents nearly nine times the all-time peak concurrent player count for the original Subnautica, which launched in 2018.
Unknown Worlds has now released the early access roadmap for Subnautica 2, outlining planned content and features for the coming months.
Author Emily Chen: "Getting caught pirating by the actual developer you're asking for tech support is peak ironic justice, and Anthony's response hits exactly the right note between frustration and humanity."
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