Steam users can play Subnautics free until April 6, thanks to the recently launched free weekend event. The current offer is for the first time Subnautics was free to play on Steam.
This unique opportunity comes after years Subnautics has established itself as one of the most famous survival games on Steam. Developed by San Francisco-based Unknown Worlds Entertainment, it originally launched in January 2018 after more than three years of early access. It has since amassed nearly 175,000 reviews on Steam with a 96.03% favorable rating, which Valve classifies as “Overwhelmingly Positive”.
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A few months after the eighth anniversary of the release of 1.0 Subnautics went free to play on Steam, but only temporarily. You can experience the iconic survival game for free until Monday, April 6th at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CET. The limited time offer is designed to promote the recently launched Unknown Worlds Subnautics a franchise sale on Steam that runs in parallel.
Subnautics itself is 75% off during the promotional period, bringing its price to $7.49, a savings of $22.50. Although the free weekend ends on April 6, the sale itself will run for three days longer. Sub-Sonic Edition of the game included in the bundle Subnautics with its original soundtrack, has also received a straight 75% discount as part of the ongoing sale, and is currently available to pick up for $8.98. The same price reduction was applied Subnautics continuation Below zerowhich is available now for $7.49.
The weekend off serves as a great opportunity for anyone who hasn't played yet Subnautics to see what made him such a phenomenon. The game is widely regarded as one of the defining entries in the survival-crafting genre, not least because it debuted in a crowded market in 2018 and still managed to keep its tried-and-true formula feeling fresh. Rather than relying primarily on constant clearing or brute force combat, Subnautics plunges the player into a vast alien ocean where vulnerability, curiosity and fear shape the experience from start to finish. Reviewers praised the way it mixed awe with horror, using an underwater world that could shift from peaceful, brightly colored reefs to panic-inducing deep-sea encounters in an instant. Looking at Steam's entire catalog of games for immersive and rewarding exploration, few titles can match Subnautics's moment-to-moment gameplay.
Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
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Arrange the covers in the correct US release order.
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Subnautica 2 is coming
In related news, Subnautica 2 is finally slated to enter early access in 2026. Unknown Worlds initially said the delay from 2025 would allow the team to respond to playtest feedback and expand the launch build, but the delay later became part of a broader legal dispute between publisher Krafton and former studio management. In the latest twist in this legal drama, a Delaware Court of Chancery judge ordered Krafton to reinstate former CEO Ted Gill and restore his full authority over the game's early access release in March 2026. Krafton had previously alleged that Gill, along with game director Charlie Cleveland and studio co-founder Max McGuire, had neglected their duties as the reason for their dismissal. The ousted executives disputed that claim and sued, saying the publisher removed them to avoid paying a $250 million bonus tied to performance targets agreed as part of Krafton's 2021 acquisition of Unknown Worlds.
