Subnautica 2’s Launch Date Causes Ripples in the Gaming Calendar

Big news in the gaming world as Subnautica 2 finally dropped its release date today, and it’s making waves! After a rollercoaster of corporate drama, the most-wishlisted game on Steam will hit the shelves on May 14. Even if you’re not planning on diving into its underwater adventures, the drama surrounding its launch is enough to keep anyone interested.

But hold on—this announcement has put other games in a tight spot, especially Outbound, a charming life sim where players explore a vibrant open world in their very own camper van. This game is currently sitting pretty as the 13th most wishlisted title on Steam, which is fantastic for the developers at Square Glade Games. Yet, when compared to the behemoth that is Subnautica 2, the excitement gets a bit overshadowed.

Understanding the situation, the team at Square Glade Games took swift action. They announced on Steam, “The highly anticipated title Subnautica 2 just revealed their release date—which falls exactly on our planned release date. While we’re super excited for their game and fans of the franchise, we believe it’s best not to compete with such a major title.” In gaming terms, this means they need to “dodge the Leviathan,” so they’ve decided to move their release date up by three days to May 11, launching on PC and Xbox. Don’t worry, though—Outbound will still be available on PS5 and Nintendo Switch on the original date, May 14.

This move seems like a smart strategy, but with Steam always buzzing, a few other titles are still set to launch on May 14. Among them are the stylish roguelite Enter the Chronosphere and Dark Light: Survivor, which appears to be gaining traction on wishlists according to SteamDB. It seems that the last time an indie game caused such a shuffle in release dates was with Hollow Knight Silksong. And let’s not forget how Grand Theft Auto 6 sends shivers down the spines of game developers everywhere.

As for Subnautica 2, the anticipation is palpable! Lincoln Carpenter recently chatted with design lead Anthony Gallegos about the game’s focus on exploration as a key element of survival. Fans are in for a treat, and it’s clear that the underwater world is about to get even more exciting!