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Unknown Worlds\u2019 philosophy for the sequel is different. The developers have spoken in the past about not wanting players to conquer or dominate the environment, and that it wouldn\u2019t feature tools that would let them slay anything that gets in their way. “We aren’t a killing game,” level designer Artyom “Artie” O’Rielly said in the Subnautica Discord. “Go play Sons of the Forest or something if you want to kill.”<\/p>\n
Still, with Subnautica 2 now out in the wild, the discourse around killing fish has resurfaced, and so the developers are once again chiming in. Environmental artist \u201culy\u201d has had plenty to say on the topic, insisting that \u201cthe conversation around the ways fish die isn\u2019t over.\u201d The developers are talking about it a lot internally, uly said, and hope to provide an update soon.<\/p>\n
\u201cTrust me it is a HOT topic,\u201d uly said. \u201cThere are so many opinions. Personally, I am hoping we can eventually let the little fish die. I\u2019m team no-kill-shark-sized-stuff tho.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you bump into a predator you shouldn’t be going \u2018uuuuuugh what a pain,\u2019 you should be going, \u2018Ah man… what tools do I have up my sleeve to deal with this guy?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou do get a tool that will deter them, but it doesn\u2019t deter them enough right now,\u201d uly continued. \u201cYou prob wont be able to kill the shark sized stuff and larger, but you\u2019ll get tools to deter them. Killing little fish? I\u2019m not in charge of that stuff, but it\u2019s an active discussion in the team.\u201d<\/p>\n
As mentioned, flares are an option for deterring fish, but they\u2019re far from ideal. \u201cI think that they take up valuable inventory space,\u201d uly suggested, which \u201cmeans most players aren’t lugging them around. Inventory space is at too much of a premium.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clearly, Unknown Worlds is working out how to handle this issue, but don\u2019t expect meaningful change any time soon. Uly said any change to allow players to kill fish would require \u201ca good bit of investment\u201d on the development side, citing game balance, mechanics, animation, sound, and AI considerations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe’ve had this conversation a TON internally,\u201d uly said. \u201cRegardless of where we land, we know that players don’t have enough ways to deal with hostile wildlife.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve been keeping on top of the Subnautica 2 community while playing the game, and every now and then you see players ask for help on how to kill fish, unaware it\u2019s simply not possible. For example, one person posted on the Subnautica reddit to complain about getting bit by fish, pointing out the Survival Multitool doesn\u2019t hurt them back and asking if there is a weapon available further down the line.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can’t kill fish, it’s not in their vision,\u201d one person replied. \u201cI think it\u2019s a good thing,\u201d another added. \u201cIt\u2019ll open up the devs to add more progression elements to deter or distract or pacify fish. Knifing them is probably the least interesting solution from a gameplay perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
A change for killing fish is not on the Subnautica 2 early access roadmap, which was revealed last week. Unknown Worlds said it\u2019s working towards a \u201cbig drop\u201d that will expand the world with biomes, creatures, resources, tools, vehicles, and the next chapter of the story. But in the meantime, improvements will be added to the game. The first update will include quality-of-life fixes that Unknown Worlds said \u201cshould help adjust and address some areas that need a little tweaking to make your Subnautica 2 experience even better.\u201d The second update, meanwhile, will focus on improving the co-op experience.<\/p>\n
Unknown Worlds stressed that the roadmap is subject to change, but there\u2019s plenty here that should excite fans \u2014 and there are a lot of them. Subnautica 2 sold an incredible 2 million copies in just 12 hours, and obliterated the first game\u2019s Steam concurrent player peak. IGN\u2019s Subnautica 2 early access review returned a 7\/10. We said: \u201cIt\u2019s pretty impressive that wading in the shallow tides of Subnautica 2’s early access debut is as fun as it is already, and that should be a great sign of things to come, but I also wouldn\u2019t blame anyone for waiting for these waters to rise a bit before getting their feet wet.\u201d<\/p>\n
We\u2019ve got a Things to Do First in Subnautica 2 guide to check out before you dive in, plus resource location guides to help you find Titanium, Silver, and more. Discover blackbox and supply crate locations on our interactive Subnautica 2 map, and make sure you don\u2019t miss any Angel Comb Adaptations or Blueprints.<\/p>\n
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n