Unknown Worlds Announces Surprise Updates for Subnautica and Below Zero

Alright, so I’ve got this juicy bit about the latest Subnautica update that just dropped on August 12. And nope, this isn’t your average sleek news brief. We’re diving into the chaos, people. Okay, so maybe I thought I’d be writing about the new pasta place in town, but here we are.

Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero – both got the sprinkle of love (or bug fixes, rather). Not the kind of glow-up where you don’t recognize the game, but like, more of a – “Hey, I see you trying to run smoother” – kind of thing. First off, they rolled out better controller support for the OG Subnautica players out there using Steam or the Epic Games Store. Not gonna lie, I wonder if they thought, “People have thumbs, let’s make use of those!” Or maybe I just made that up. Anyway, if you’re holding a PS5 DualSense or an Xbox Wireless, ya can now totally pretend you’re in an underwater action movie.

But wait, there’s drama in the air. And it’s spicier than my Aunt’s chili. So, apparently, there was this whole whodunit with Krafton and the old heads of Unknown Worlds. Yep, the former bosses – Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire – supposedly got canned, and boom! There’s a lawsuit. Something about $250 million being dangled like a carrot for 2025 if some milestones were hit, but Krafton decided to bump Subnautica 2 to 2026. Fishy, right?

In court antics aside, Subnautica: Below Zero is also getting the patchy TLC. They fixed up the Snowfox, this nifty land vehicle. Ever been driving and thought, “Wow, my car’s orientation is off”? Yeah, me neither. But it’s a thing here, and they sorted it out. Plus, they tossed in a news feed pop-up in both games because apparently, breaking news in virtual underwaters is what we needed.

Nintendo folks might be raising their eyebrows because, surprise surprise, they didn’t get updated. But the devs promised they’re on it. Maybe. Fingers crossed? With Subnautica 2 taking a backseat (or more like stuck in the garage until 2026), the current titles are still getting their necessary tweaks.

Now, here comes the best bit – the patch notes. I know, I know, patch notes are like reading car manuals but hold on. From less-than-glamorous bug fixes where alien portals were being all glitchy with the PRAWN suit to redoing input options for real, authentic gaming feels – it’s a full on ride. They even messed with the Unity input, so it’s all shiny and new. Sounds technical, right? Trust me, someone out there is geeking out hard enough for the rest of us.

Every now and then, you gotta fix stuff like invisible buttons sticking around after you switch from gamepad to keyboard, or that weird issue when the Cyclops gets in the way of base building. Did you even know that’s a thing? Or there’s my favorite—the Ice Worm that now only tries to knock players off 25% of the time because getting tossed every time was just too much. I guess even ice worms have a conscience now.

Oh, and side note, they gave the Snowfox’s terrain impact a major chill pill – like from extreme whoops to something you can kinda ignore. All these little updates sprinkled over consoles except for those Scrooge-like Windows Store versions. So yeah, if you’re feeling adventurous, there’s a juicy patch waiting.

And that’s the hodgepodge of virtual oceanic endeavors. Whether you’re here for the intrigue or the underwater escapades, Subnautica and its family of patches got something cookin’. Bonkers as ever. Who knew sea life could be this dramatic, eh?