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Cut Content
May 16, 2026 at 08:00 AM
Reconciled biomes list with launch build and softened leaked documents framing
Internal milestone documents from Unknown Worlds that surfaced publicly in 2025 indicated that the Subnautica 2 Early Access scope was significantly reduced between Q2 2023 and Q2 2025. The following content was removed or replaced.
The original plan included two narrative chapters totaling 13-16 hours of gameplay. The current Early Access plan has one chapter with 8-10 hours. Six hours of story content were removed.
Two biomes were cut from the Early Access scope. Launch-week coverage of the live build identifies the following named biomes: Kelp Forest (with the Start Zone tutorial pocket inside it), Coral Gardens (with Graveyard Spires as a sub-biome), Alien Ruins, Sulfur Pyres, Sparse Plains, and the map-edge Void. Pre-launch internal placeholder names such as Jelly Plateaus and VepZone do not surface under those labels in the live build.
A vehicle called the Trident was removed. It is referenced in the Collector Leviathan's design brief, which lists the creature's targets as "players, tadpoles, tridents, and anything it does not recognise." The Trident's function and design have not been publicly detailed.
One leviathan-class creature was cut, along with multiple other creatures and tools. The identities of the removed creatures and tools have not been disclosed.
An ecosystem restoration mechanic was replaced by a new system called "Blight." The original system presumably involved the player repairing environmental damage. Blight's mechanics have not been publicly detailed, but the name suggests an environmental threat rather than a restorative system.
Character customization features were removed from the Early Access scope.
Custom game modes were dropped. Whether they will be added during Early Access updates is unknown.
The multiplayer architecture shifted from dedicated servers to peer-to-peer networking. This affects connection quality and means one player hosts the game session rather than a neutral server.
These cuts became a point of contention in the KRAFTON lawsuit. The founders argued the game was ready for its original 2025 Early Access launch. KRAFTON claimed the game lacked sufficient "freshness." The developers plan 2-3 years of Early Access updates to add content based on player feedback.
