Subnautica 2 Gets New Developer Vlog Showcasing New Collector Leviathan

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Even with ongoing legal challenges, the developers of *Subnautica 2*, Unknown Worlds, and publisher Krafton have shared a new development video. This video focuses on the Collector Leviathan, showing how it was created – from initial sketches to its final appearance in the game. You can watch the video below.

The Collector Leviathan is intended to be one of the first aggressive creatures players meet in *Subnautica 2*. To make it feel realistic, it uses advanced new technology in Unreal Engine 5 that lets it respond instantly to things like light, noise, and what the player is doing. A lot of work also went into its animations, both when it’s simply swimming around and when it’s actively fighting the player.

According to Antonio Muñoz Gallego, the AI designer behind the Collector Leviathan, this creature isn’t simply a monster that attacks on sight. It’s a smart and dangerous deep-sea lifeform that actively responds to what players do and will chase them. The team’s main aim was to create creatures that feel responsive, so the Leviathan is constantly assessing the situation as it unfolds. They accomplished this using Unreal Engine 5’s behavior trees and their own AI stimulus system.

This latest developer video builds on one released in April, which originally showed off early gameplay of Subnautica 2. The new video highlights cooperative gameplay, and previews some of the new vehicles and creatures players will encounter while exploring the game’s oceans.

The release of *Subnautica 2* into Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S has been delayed. It was initially planned for this year, but Krafton has pushed the launch back to 2026. This decision came after playtesting sessions where, while the game received positive feedback, Unknown Worlds realized there were still areas needing improvement.

The studio announced the delay, explaining they’re happy with what they’ve built so far and simply want to include a bit more content in the initial Early Access version.

The release of *Subnautica 2* has been delayed until 2026 following a leadership change at Unknown Worlds in July. The studio’s original three founders-Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire-have been replaced by Steve Papoutsis, the CEO of Striking Distance Studios. Importantly, this change only affects leadership; the core development team remains the same.

The three founders then sued Krafton, claiming the company deliberately delayed the launch of *Subnautica 2* for several months and refused to pay bonuses earned when the game reached its Early Access goal.

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2025-09-17 15:47