One of the most beloved features of the original Subnautica was building your own underwater base. In Dev Vlog 6, the Unknown Worlds team pulls back the curtain on a completely reimagined base-building system for Subnautica 2 — and it's a massive leap forward.

A New Approach to Base Building

The original Subnautica used fixed, pre-defined pieces that snapped together. Subnautica 2 takes a fundamentally different approach with a procedural base-building system that replaces fixed pieces with "sculptural" tools for greater creative freedom.

This means players will have far more control over the shape, size, and layout of their underwater habitats than ever before.

"We wanted players to feel like they're sculpting their base, not just clicking pieces together." - Kiel McDonald, Base Design Lead

Customization Options

The dev vlog showcases several exciting new customization features:

  • Flexible window shapes — Design windows that fit your vision, not just pre-set cutouts
  • Varied paint colors — Personalize your base with a wide palette of color options
  • Adjustable interior lighting — Set the mood and atmosphere inside your underwater home
  • Sculptural building tools — Shape rooms and corridors with organic, freeform controls

Meet the Team Behind It

The vlog features insights from key members of the development team working on the base-building system:

  • Kiel McDonald — Base Design Lead
  • Carolyn Lu — Senior Engineer
  • Milan Singh — Senior Gameplay Engineer
  • Ben Henry — Lead Hard Surface Artist

Each team member provides unique perspective on the challenges and creative decisions that went into reimagining base building from the ground up in Unreal Engine 5.

Co-op Base Building

With Subnautica 2's new 4-player co-op multiplayer, base building takes on a whole new dimension. Players can collaborate on constructing shared underwater habitats, dividing tasks and combining their creative visions into a single, sprawling base.

The team has worked to ensure that the building system feels responsive and intuitive in multiplayer, with real-time updates visible to all players.

Dev Vlog 6 makes it clear that base building in Subnautica 2 isn't just an upgrade — it's a complete reimagining. With Early Access launching in May 2026, players will soon get to experience this new system firsthand.