A new Subnautica game is in development

Subnautica: Below Zero
(Image credit: Unknown Worlds)

The 2018 sci-fi survival game Subnautica is brilliant, and the 2021 followup, Subnautica: Below Zero, is a worthy successor; both games were also significant commercial successes. In light of that, it should come as no surprise that developer Unknown Worlds has got a new Subnautica game in development.

Word of the project comes from an Unknown Worlds job listing for a "senior narrative designer to work with us to help shape the next game in the Subnautica universe!"

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That job listing points to something different, yet familiar: A journey to an all-new world in the next game—or at least, an entirely new biome on Planet 4546B, the watery world on which the first two games in the series took place. 

"Unknown Worlds is seeking a Senior Narrative Designer to join the team working on the next game in the Subnautica universe.  This person will collaborate closely with the team to tell compelling, dramatic stories in the context of the game experience, while also defining the history and lore of a new science fiction world and its alien inhabitants. This person has a unique opportunity to join the team early in development and help establish the narrative direction for a beloved franchise."

A new Subnautica game isn't the only iron that Unknown Worlds has in the fire. It's also looking for a 3D environment artist to work on a "new unannounced franchise, " which is presumably the new "genre-defining game" that PUBG Corporation parent company Krafton announced when it acquired Unknown Worlds in 2021.

Krafton's FY2021 financial report further revealed that game as "a turn-based strategy game set in a sci-fi world" that's being developed for PC and mobile platforms; one of the preferred qualifications in the environment artist job listing is "experience with optimizing art for mobile and/or console." That project is expected to launch into Early Access sometime this year.

Thanks, The Loadout.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.