Get ready to explore the land and sea as we delve into the wonderful world of Subnautica 3!
Yes, we’re heading back into survival mode once more and running away from the Reaper Leviathan way faster than you could realistically spell leviathan under pressure.
The Subnautica series has captured the hearts and minds of gamers all over the globe; you’ve only got to look at the Steam and Google reviews online to see that the two games we’ve seen so far are unprecedented hits.
And now, the internet is rife with rumours and information about the 3rd game in the canon.
Well, we’re here to compile everything together into one neat package for you. Get ready for all the details, the conjecture, and everything else that we’ve found while trawling through the internet!
Table of Contents
Everything We Know About Subnautica 3 So Far
So, let’s start with the cold hard truth (though slightly warmer than the still above) – Subnautica 3 is coming.
We know this for a number of reasons, not least the fact that the developer of the series has announced that they’re looking for someone to help make the new game even bigger back in 2022.
Developers often do this to subtly let their fans know that there is something new coming on the horizon, a little teaser before the main trailer arrives and we all lose our minds.
Still, I guess that happened with the Metroid Prime 4 Release Date and we ended up waiting an age for more news on that!
‘The Subnautica universe’; to me that sounds like multiple games are already in the pipeline, but I don’t want to get you too excited!
So, we know that Unknown Worlds are working on the new game, and we can expect them to have been working on it for around 6 months from the time of writing, spending that time getting their ideas in order and making space for their new team member to help shape this underwater marvel.
What Can We Expect From Subnautica 3 Gameplay?
With the world ‘universe’ used in an Unknown Worlds job description, we can expect the Subnuatica 3 Gameplay to span way more planets than 4546B and be lot more open world than the previous two titles.
And that’s saying a lot as they were already open world – I’m thinking we go even deeper below the surface of planets and even to the Architect’s home world and beyond!
Yes, the world, or the galaxy, really could be our terrifyingly scary oyster in this game.
For those of you that don’t know and have stumbled here by mistake, Subnautica is a survival action/adventure game that leaves you sitting on the edge of your seat. Players find themselves in the Andromeda Galaxy and must do everything they can to survive.
Though with some of the huge monsters that you’ll see in the images below, that task is much easier said than done!
We’re thinking that the gameplay mechanics will remain fairly similar with emphasis being put on creating a new and exciting story rather than throwing a tonne of new building abilities into the mix.
The Main Subnautica 3 Rumours
One of the main rumours around Subnautica 3 is the fact that the game is finally going to support multiplayer action.
The world has been using the fan-made mode that allows two players to team up for co-op play on PC in Subnautica, but we and everyone else want this feature to be built into the next game.
And, if Unknown Worlds listen to their fans, then it will be!
Apart from additions to the incredible open-ended narrative that runs through these games (obviously one for the new Senior Narrative Designer to work with), players want to see more areas to explore too.
We’ve already had the ocean and land, so will the devs add sky exploration into the mix? Other rumours we’ve come across have stated that there might be more biomes to explore.
We loved the treacherous Arctic feel of the last game, but what do we think could be in the next title? We’ve had tropical beach in the first game, but dense jungles and vast savannahs could also be on the cards.
New Subnautica 3 Levels
As we haven’t seen a trailer yet, we can’t be sure as to what the levels will look like. We all know that they’re going to be vast, however, with the series’ open-world nature continuing into Subnautica 3.
With TotK bringing the depths, land, and sky into the equation and Subnautica already covering the depths of the ocean and more dangers on land, it’s highly possible that Unknown Worlds might take inspiration from Link’s World and allow us to explore the skies above new planets too.
We’re imagining a cross between No Man’s Sky and Subnautica – now wouldn’t that be something!
Which Consoles Will Subnautica 3 Be Released On?
Subnautica 3 will drop on Nintendo Switch, Windows PCs, Mac, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, and PS5. It will also be available on the Steam Store.
Subnautica: Below Zero dropped on all major platforms, so we see absolutely no reason why the third title in the series won’t follow suit.
Unknown Worlds wants everyone to be able to play their games no matter what platform they game on, so I can’t imagine them signing with Nintendo or Xbox in order to make this title an exclusive for said consoles.
Subnautica 3 Release Date
Subnautica 3 is likely to be released for all major platforms in Spring 2025.
With the job application for a Senior Narrative Designer going up mid 2022 and Subnautica 2 dropping mid 2021, we think that it’s likely we’ll see the new game arriving early 2025 with a trailer heading to our screens at the end of 2023.
The first Subnautica game came out in December 2014, so that’s a gap of 7 years between the first and second games. Unknown Worlds won’t want to wait that long for the third title, but 4 years feels like a nice amount of time to wait.
Seb Santabarbara has bought every Nintendo console that has ever been released in his 33 years on Planet Earth. His favourite game franchise is Zelda, and he’s patiently waiting for Banjo-Kazooie to come back to the fold. When he’s not playing games, he’s travelling the world in his self-converted camper van.
