Dynamic Weather System
The dynamic weather system is a new feature in Subnautica 2 that changes ocean conditions in real time, affecting currents, visibility, and creature behavior. It was previewed in Dev Vlog 1 (April 23, 2025), hosted by Design Lead Anthony Gallegos. This is the first weather system in the mainline Subnautica franchise; the original Subnautica had no weather at all, and Below Zero introduced surface weather (snowstorms, blizzards, electrical storms) but did not apply weather effects underwater.
How it works
The dynamic weather system operates across Planet Zezura's ocean environment, creating changing conditions that make every expedition feel different. Players can be "swimming through a calm sea one minute, then getting caught in a storm the next." The system is designed to make "every trip feel unpredictable," adding a layer of environmental challenge on top of the creature threats and resource management that define the survival loop.
Confirmed effects
Dev Vlog 1 confirmed three categories of gameplay impact:
Effect | Description |
|---|---|
Ocean currents | Weather changes alter the flow of water through biomes. Currents can push or pull the player and their vehicles, affecting navigation and energy expenditure during exploration. |
Visibility | Weather conditions change underwater visibility. Clear conditions allow long sightlines, while storms or turbulence reduce visibility, making it harder to spot creatures, resources, and terrain features. |
Creature behavior | Weather affects how creatures behave. Different conditions may make fauna more active, aggressive, or withdrawn, changing the threat landscape of a biome depending on when the player visits. |
Gameplay implications
The weather system adds a time-dependent dimension to exploration. In previous Subnautica games, a biome's difficulty was fixed: the Sparse Plains were always equally dangerous regardless of when the player entered. With dynamic weather, the same biome can present different challenges at different times. A resource run that was straightforward in calm conditions might become treacherous during a storm, forcing players to adapt their approach or wait for conditions to change.
For multiplayer sessions, weather adds a shared environmental variable that all players experience simultaneously. A sudden visibility drop could separate a group, and changing currents could affect the Dive Elevator's descent path. Weather also interacts with the Collector Leviathan's AI, which reacts to environmental stimuli including light and sound; storm conditions that change ambient light and noise levels may alter the creature's behavior patterns.
Comparison to previous games
Game | Weather System |
|---|---|
None. The ocean environment was static with no weather effects. | |
Surface weather only: snowstorms, electrical storms, hail, heavy fog, blizzards. Affected temperature, power output, and surface visibility. Did not extend to underwater gameplay. | |
Full underwater dynamic weather: ocean currents, visibility changes, and creature behavior shifts. The first weather system to affect the core underwater gameplay experience. |
Unreal Engine 5
The dynamic weather system is part of the broader visual and simulation upgrades enabled by Subnautica 2's move to Unreal Engine 5. The engine's capabilities support real-time environmental changes including water turbidity, light refraction through the ocean surface, dynamic lighting, and physics-based particle effects. Dev Vlog 4 separately demonstrated how UE5 renders water physics on the Tadpole submersible, with light playing across the vehicle's manta ray panels differently depending on depth and surface conditions.
What remains unknown
As of March 2026, the following weather system details have not been officially disclosed:
Specific weather types beyond general "calm" and "storm" states
Whether weather affects day/night cycles or overall lighting conditions
Whether weather is random, cyclical, or tied to story progression
How surface weather on Zezura (described as "harsh, desert-like") connects to underwater conditions
Whether weather affects base building or base power generation
Exact mechanical effects on swimming speed, oxygen consumption, or vehicle handling