Subnautica 2’s developer, Unknown Worlds, has shared an open letter to the game’s community. The letter apologises for certain recent comments made by staff about the debate on killing fish. However, it also firmly rules out the possibility of introducing actual weapons into the game.
Prior to the early access launch of Subnautica 2, Unknown Worlds discussed their vision for the game. They did not want players to dominate the underwater environment. They insisted that the game would not include tools for players to kill anything that gets in their way. “We aren’t a killing game,” said level designer Artyom “Artie” O’Rielly in the Subnautica Discord. “Go play Sons of the Forest or something if you want to kill.”
These comments, along with others, upset some Subnautica 2 players. The remarks sparked a significant discussion about not killing fish in the game. Now, Unknown Worlds has addressed the backlash and outlined changes coming to the game.
“We also understand that some recent comments from our team made players feel ignored or dismissed. We are sorry for that,” Unknown Worlds said. “Early Access should be a conversation with our players, not a one-way explanation from the development team. Your feedback matters, and we do not want any part of our communication to make the community feel otherwise.”
Unknown Worlds acknowledged that creature balance needs improvement. They admitted that some predator encounters “feel more frustrating than tense or exciting.” While there are mitigation tools in the game, and players have found some ways to defend themselves, they’re “not always clear, reliable, or satisfying. Players do not always have enough confidence in how to respond when a creature attacks.”
“This is not the experience we want,” Unknown Worlds said. So, it’s working on improvements to creature behaviour and mitigation tools. This includes adjustments to creature aggression timing, aggro range, flare effectiveness, Survival Tool effectiveness, and creature interactions with vehicles and bases. Expect to see these changes come into effect over a series of upcoming patches.
The big question is whether Unknown Worlds will ever add actual weapons to the game, or let players directly kill fish. The answer, pretty clearly, is no. This week, in the Subnautica Discord, lead game designer Anthony Gallegos told fans: “You’re not ever getting actual weapons, sorry. Mods I am sure will add it, but we’re committed to offering more robust mitigation options with making you the sea dominator.”
In its open letter, Unknown Worlds acknowledged the requests from players to be able to kill fish, but reiterated Gallegos’ point. “We understand where that request is coming from. When avoidance and mitigation tools do not feel effective, it is natural for players to want a more decisive solution,” Unknown Worlds said. “Our current direction is not based on judging players who want combat, and it is not because we think those players are wrong. Subnautica has always been built around vulnerability, exploration, and survival rather than traditional weapon-based combat. We believe that this is part of what makes the game unique. However, that design only works if creature encounters feel fair, readable, and engaging. Right now, we know we have more work to do to achieve that.”
So, no, you’re not going to be able to directly kill fish in Subnautica 2. However, it sounds like the annoyance that comes from predators constantly nibbling your toes, getting in your way, or otherwise bothering your base building will be eased somewhat.
Gallegos has indicated that the no killing fish backlash took the developers by surprise. They didn’t expect players to choose to build their bases so close to predators. “I think what surprised us about a lot of this are where people chose to build,” Gallegos said in the Discord. “Many, many more people than we ever saw in playtests have chosen base sites very close to predators or hammerheads. Whereas most of us chose to put our bases away from these.”
“Sorry, it was anticipated to a degree,” he then followed up, “but I don’t think we thought people would build by wolves and then be as vocal about being bit by wolves afterwards. But a good deal of that is understandable due to both poor feedback when you hit a creature and also the creature ‘downtime’ between going aggressive again being too short.”
Meanwhile, Subnautica 2 just got its first early access hotfix, which addressed the controversy over the game’s EULA. If you’re just getting started, we’ve got a Things to Do First in Subnautica 2 guide to check out, 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’t miss any Angel Comb Adaptations or Blueprints.
