Subnautica 3

What is Subnautica 3, and why do so many players use that name for the newest entry in the series? The third mainline game after Subnautica and Below Zero is officially titled Subnautica 2, and this page covers the game people mean when they search for the number three.

Sorting Out Subnautica 3 and Subnautica 2

The confusion comes from counting. Subnautica and Below Zero came first, so the next game feels like the third entry, and players naturally call it by the third number. The official title is Subnautica 2, and that is what stores and update notes use.

Either name leads to the same place: an underwater survival adventure on an all-new alien world. If you searched with the wrong number, you are still in the right ocean.

Newcomers benefit from knowing both names exist when they read guides. Searching with both numbers gives the fullest results.

Stranded After the CICADA Goes Wrong

Driven from your home by ongoing conflict, you accept Alterra’s offer of a new life. The colony ship CICADA carries you and your fellow Pioneers toward a new home, and then something goes awry.

The ship’s AI insists that the mission should continue, which is exactly why the story feels uneasy. Stranded and facing near-insurmountable odds, you have to do everything you can to survive, and uncovering why the AI is so determined is a major pull.

Story-driven players follow every lead on the mission, while survival purists ignore the plot until the water starts to feel dangerous. Both groups end up asking the same question about the AI.

Tadpole, Bases, and Scanning: The Survival Loop

You traverse biomes with the Tadpole submersible, build and customize bases to return to, and craft tools as you go. As the game grows, the array of tools, equipment, and vehicles grows with it.

Scanning drives discovery. You study a rich world of biodiversity, from the smallest creatures to towering Leviathans, and each dive is a chance to understand why the planet feels the way it does.

The loop stays familiar to anyone who played the earlier games. Shallow water is calm, and the deeper you dive, the more the ocean feels like it wants you gone.

• Dive from your base and scan what you find
• Craft tools and upgrades from what you gather
• Return to safe waters before the dive turns dangerous

Playing Subnautica 3 Alone or in a Four-Player Crew

Subnautica 3, as the community calls it, is a single-player experience you can optionally play in co-op with up to three friends over the internet. You pick from four pre-designed characters, and more customization is planned.

Solo play keeps the loneliness that defined the series, while co-op turns the ocean into a shared story. Proximity voice chat makes nearby teammates sound louder while distant ones fade, and a revive system lets a downed player be picked up within a limited time.

Solo horror fans keep the classic isolation, and co-op groups gain a reason to stay together near dangerous water. The two ways of playing feel like different games built on the same ocean.

What Early Access Still Lacks

Early access is expected to last roughly two to three years, with more biomes, creatures, craftables, and narrative arriving over time. Right now the world can feel smaller than the full vision.

Early reports mention a smaller explorable map, limited craftable items, and progression walls that appear once the available story content ends. Bugs, in-development features, and performance problems are also possible, which is a normal trade-off for early access.

Players who enjoy watching a game grow will find that exciting, while those who want a finished campaign may prefer to wait for future updates. Both choices are reasonable at this stage.

Beginner Habits for New Pioneers

Start shallow and get comfortable with the Tadpole before you push deeper. Every biome has its own dangers, and Leviathans punish players who cross into deep water unprepared.

Build a base early, because it gives you a place to return to when a dive goes wrong. Scan everything you can, since scanning teaches you which creatures are dangerous.

New Pioneers usually get stuck on the same handful of points. The answers below clear up most of the naming and setup confusion.

1. Is there really a game called Subnautica 3? Not officially. Players use that name for the newest entry, whose official title is Subnautica 2, so guides and updates appear under the second name.
2. Can you play alone? Yes. The game is designed as a single-player experience, and co-op with up to three friends is optional.
3. What vehicle do you start with? The Tadpole submersible is the vehicle you use to traverse biomes early on. It fills the role the Seamoth played in the first game.

Subnautica 3 is the name people search, but the fear is the same whatever the number. The CICADA overhead, the Tadpole’s lights against the dark, and a Leviathan somewhere beyond the edge of your scanner are what stay with you.