And it's a remote position, too. This means if you feel you've got the chops but you're based in Australia, there's still a chance you could land it and you definitely won't be overlooked should you meet the job's requirements. Moreover, this also confirms the studio is working on the next phase in the life of its expansive Subnautica IP, one of our favourites.

We're seeking a Senior Narrative Designer to work with us to help shape the next game in the Subnautica universe! 🖊️🌌

Come and join our fully remote studio and let's make great games together. Check out the full job description here 🔽 https://t.co/SfOKSmKpkT

— Unknown Worlds (@UnknownWorlds) April 7, 2022

Obviously this post also suggests any new venture might still be a ways off, and it comes off the back of Unknown Worlds also revealing it is working on something entirely new but also of the sci fi persuasion.

Whether both projects are linked isn't clear, but either way it's awesome to see such a creatively-driven Indie with a very good track record growing out its projects, library and team.

The Nintendo World Indie Showcased that happened overnight, Unknown Worlds revealed that both Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero would be coming to Ninty's ever-popular console with help from developer Shiny Shoe and Unity Professional Services.

You won't be diving into the depths until 2021, which may or may not be an indication of whether a new, more powerful Switch is still on the cards for Holiday this year (we're leaning in the naaah camp), but either way this opens up the incredible IP to a brand new audience that has yet to unravel the secrets of Planet 4546B. Here's the official word:

Subnautica invites players to descend into the depths of an alien underwater world filled with wonder and peril. Explorers can craft equipment, interact with wildlife and pilot watercraft to explore coral reefs, volcanoes and caves, all while trying to survive.

Subnautica: Below Zero, set after the original Subnautica, challenges players to survive the ice biomes on Planet 4546B. Craft tools, scavenge for supplies, and unravel the next chapter in the Subnautica story.

This announcement comes off the back of the most recent update and trailer for Below we reported on earlier this week. Watch a trailer for the "Stranger Pings" update eembedded below.

After all, that's usually what the intended purpose of an update is. At any rate, Unknown Worlds has acknowledged that the game on Xbox One was using too much memory, thus causing crashes and have addressed this and other issues, in the game's most recent update, out now.

Here's what the cats behind one of the Honourable Mentions for our Top 10 Best Games of 2018 let us know about the new update for Xbox One:

A new Subnautica update has been released on Xbox One! We have been working hard to reduce crashing caused by Subnautica gobbling up too much memory. This is a painstaking process in which we trim memory usage by all sorts of game sub-systems. We haven't solved all crashes, but you should find the end-game much more stable.

Here are all the changes included in the update:

• Fixed a bug causing the controller to become unresponsive
  
• Removed a false-wall in the Aurora locker room that could interfere with progress
  
• Seamoth docking is now more reliable
  
• Optimizations to address memory related crashes in the end-game

We have also added more verbose save/load error messages. If you encounter a problem saving or loading your game, you will now receive more information about what went wrong. Let us know what messages you receive on our forums or on Twitter - Then, we will target the underlying issue for a future update.

Hopefully we also hear more information on a release date for the game's first major expansion, Below Zero, for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One soon.

Which is Unknown Worlds poking a bit of fun at themselves, but performance on Xbox One has been an issue since release, however, 1.0.0.31 will also help the game run faster while also making it more stable, among other things.

In particular, the game-world streams in more quickly which is good news and the team have promised "you won’t fall through the world as often". They also fixed the Seamoth docking with the Moonpool. Here's the full list of fixes and changes we received:

• Improved world streaming performance
  
• Fixed a crash that occurred during gameplay
  
• Fixed an issue with Seamoth not being able to dock in the Moonpool
  
• Fixed an issue where several plants and coral would spawn on top of each other at water surface
  
• Fixed an issue with objects falling through the ground
  
• Fixed an issues with missing geometry in alien bases
  
• Changed actions to occur on button press, rather than on button release
  
• Improved accuracy for propulsion cannon physics
  
• Optimised power system for vehicles and player bases

And once again, if you haven't got into the game on PC or console yet, check out our in-depth review right here.

Trog already posted about this in the forums, but given news of the new update for the game on Xbox One just hit my Inbox, we thought we'd do a combined post. Also, the game just deserves more talk and as much love as possible.

So yeah, as already mentioned the PC version of Subnautica is currently free on the Epic Games Store, and at that price, you'd be criminal to miss it. Meanwhile, on the Xbox version front, Unknown Worlds just dropped us a line with the following details around the latest update for the game on Xbox One:

Subnautica has just received an update on Xbox One! 1.0.0.30 improves stability & performance, and kills bugs. It is another in our sequence of rapid-fire post-release updates. We still have more work to do, and are already cranking on the next update.

• Added a feedback button
  
• Added miscellations stability improvements, e.g. to memory management
  
• Fixed erratic Reefbacks behaviour
  
• Fixed a bug causing some absent flora
  
• Fixed a bug causing floaters to fail to attach
  
• Fixed a bug causing the Cyclops vehicle bay hatch to spawn incorrectly

Thank you for continuing to send us feedback and bug reports. We appreciate your efforts very much, and what you tell us helps us prioritise our update work. Let us know what you think about 1.0.0.30 by leaving a comment on the Subnautica forums.

We also recently posted up a review for the game, having waited for it to be available in retail form on all platforms where we wrote:

"As rudimentary as that sounds, the intro is handled incredibly well with your sarcastic automated PDA explaining to you what’s required here to survive, and she will also eventually help you learn to thrive. The gameplay loop here is pretty simple: you need to craft items in order to either reach other survivors, or set yourself up with enough technology and resources that you can leave the planet yourself. Doing so requires resource gathering, then resource transformation and, finally, construction. Tied within this, however, is a survival loop that requires you to manage health, food, water and oxygen while submerged (if you choose to play on either of the game’s better settings: Survival or Hardcore). But gathering food and maintaining supplies becomes challenging thanks to an inventory system that requires you to manage storage beyond what our player-character can carry."

Click here for our in-depth Subnautica review to learn what all the fuss is about.

It has been available on PC for a while, but where possible we like to make sure all bases are covered and we knew the console versions of Subnautica would eventually fall into line. And so after revisiting Planet 4645B for the umpteenth time in its most recent retail release form, we've finally unveiled our verdict on the game. Does it sink or swim?

It's one hundred percent the latter, and then some. Here's a snippet:

"Essentially, all the game’s systems need to be utilised on the whole, but more often than not they cross over. When you eventually build an underwater base, for example, it’s a good idea to create storage lockers for materials because you simply can’t keep them on your person all the time. In my main playthrough I had a room with lockers specifically for things like Silver ore, Gold, Lithium, Lead and more. Some materials are abundant in the game-world, such as Acid Mushrooms, which you combine with Copper ore (also abundant) to make batteries. Batteries are then used to power tools and vehicles, but are finite in energy. So you can either keep making them over and over, or you can learn how to make a battery charger and just have four charging at any given time, while using up the ones currently in your devices and vehicles."

Click here for our full Subnautica review.

It's been out on PC now for a while, and a little ways back we shared news with you that Unknown Worlds had teamed up with console port specialists, Panic Button, to help them navigate the waters of console development to ensure a competent release on both Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Now Unknown Worlds has *kind of* revealed the game's December release date.

*Kind of* in that they're still allowing for transparency where any unforeseen circumstances might occur and the game might not make its now publicised December 4 release date.

On December 4th 2018, Subnautica will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. You will be able to purchase Subnautica digitally, or via a physical disk. Physical disk sales in Europe will start three days later, on December 7th.

It’s important that we are honest about dates: While we are very confident of hitting December 4th, game development is a complex gig. There is always a risk that some unforeseen problem will cause things to shift. If anything changes, we will keep you up to date.

We are traditionally a PC game developer. This is our first console release, so we’re super excited, and super nervous. We are thankful to Gearbox Publishing and Panic Button for helping us release Subnautica on the PlayStation 4 & Xbox One.

Thank you to all of you who pushed us to release Subnautica on consoles. Your tweets, emails, and other messages provided us with encouragement & motivation as we navigated the unfamiliar waters of console development.

Many of you purchased the Xbox Game Preview version of Subnautica, enduring awful bugs and painful frame rates. Your feedback, bug reports, and reviews have helped shape console release. Without your patient feedback we would not have been able to bring Subnautica to consoles.

Thanks are also in order for many PC & Mac players – By playing and reporting issues with Experimental branch on Steam, you have helped stress test code destined for consoles.

Regardless of what platform you play on, we hope you’ll join the excitement on console launch day, and spread the news of Xbox and PlayStation release far and wide. We hope as many people as possible get to experience the wonder and peril of Planet 4546B’s open ocean.

Long time readers of the site will know this is one of my favourite games, ever, and we'll be following up their release with a comprehensive review detailing all three platform releases. So stay tuned.

And I can't wait. Having finished the original game after several restarts during its time in Early Access and Xbox One Preview, and thoroughly loving every second of it, to know we'll be heading back to Planet 4546B under different circumstances and in an ice-themed location, with the potential for more unique and interesting biomes... well, the heart just flutters.

It's been a big handful of months for Unknown Worlds. They officially 'retail' released the PC version of the game in January, and followed that up with the announcement the game was being ported over to PlayStation 4 with the help of Panic Button (Doom, Rocket League) that would also come packaged with new, unique and exclusive content for Sony's console. Moreover, the studio asked the folks at Panic Button to take over completion duties of the Xbox One version as the team was stretched too thin and have more of a background in PC development than they do with console, and Panic Button has apparently already had a major impact on tightening up that ship, with a release scheduled sometime in "Fall" (Spring for us, so over the next month or two, we hope).

The new standalone effort, Below Zero, was revealed via a "concept site" that shows off art and gives a glimpse at the sort of vibe the studio is going for here.

Unknown Worlds is building a stand-alone expansion to Subnautica, called Subnautica Below Zero. Set in an ice-bound region of planet 4546B, after the events of the original game, Below Zero will offer a new chapter in the Subnautica universe. We would like to show you some of Below Zero's concepts, and share our plans for release.

Adding that:

In the coming months, we will release an unfinished, early version of Below Zero in Early Access. We will then begin releasing consistent content updates, carefully crafting the game based on your feedback - Just like the original Subnautica.

As well as:

The concept of Below Zero is still developing. We are keeping the core gameplay mechanics, such as base building and open-ended exploration. We are also exploring new ones, such as thermal management, and more voiced dialogue at the core of the plot. We're still in early stages and nothing is set in ice. These features may change prior to, and during, Early Access.

Our very own arctic oceans are still places of mystery, so we can only imagine how this might turn out, and with the experiences of the first game, player-feedback and design maturity behind them, Below Zero could deliver and even more complete and engaging experience than the base game -- no small, or mean, feat.

Check out some concept art below.

That's right Sony fanpeeps. No longer can the PC Master Race and those pesky "Xbots" laud their underwater survival stories from Subnautica over you, because Unknown Worlds has revealed they've been working with console port kings, Panic Button (Doom, Rocket League), to bring their incredible playspace: Planet 4546B, to the PS4.

From Adam Creighton, Studio GM and Director of Development at Panic Button (via the PlayStation Blog):

What drew me to the game were the gorgeous visuals and the gameplay. There is a wonder and an excitement and a weight that I haven’t experienced with a lot of games in this type of setting.

It’s got a wide diversity of gameplay: scavenging and crafting and surviving, casual to hardcore permadeath options, and a base-building mechanic that makes your gameplay experience unique. Subnautica is a special game, and we’re looking to do some special things for PlayStation gamers (more on that later).

Subnautica will be available for PlayStation Store and physical purchase, and I’m looking forward to you all getting to enjoy it this holiday season on PS4.

The most interesting tidbit here is the idea there will be content unique to the PS4 version, and if that content is in the hands of a talented team that truly know the PS4's architecture, then we might be in for super new features. It should also be noted that Gearbox Publishing has come on board to help with a physical release for the game, which is equally great.

Having played the game across both PC and Xbox One (and finishing it on the latter), I can't hype it enough. Hopefully with the added help, and extra time, the game runs smoothly on PS4 as it's still not without performance issues on Xbox One.

Watch the announcement trailer embedded below.

A day I've specifically been waiting a while for has finally arrived -- Unknown Worlds' Subnautica has finally launched proper. And to celebrate this event, the developer held a release dealie at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California, where they debuted a new cinematic launch trailer and 10 minutes of brand new, final release gameplay footage.

You can check out those videos below, but for the Xbox players out there, the studio has offered an update on how that release is shaping up:

At about 6.30pm PST today (around midnight across Europe), we are releasing an update on Xbox One that brings the Xbox version of Subnautica very, very close to the launch version on Steam. Even though Subnautica has not technically ‘launched’ on Xbox One, Xbox players still have all the latest goodies that Steam players do.

We want to take more time with the Xbox One version of Subnautica, because we don’t think performance and stability on Xbox One are up to the standards of a released title. We also want to take the time to add more Xbox-specific features.

We aren’t sure when we will ‘launch’ on Xbox One, but we will be working hard on doing so as quickly as possible. In the mean time, please enjoy all the features, bug-fixes, and performance enhancements in today’s update.

Watch the new videos below, and if you haven't jumped into Subnautica yet, now is the perfect time to do so.

Live Streams aren't usually my thing, but in the case of a grand event held by Unknown Worlds for Subnatica, I'll make an exception.

The game is finally releasing later this month, and the studio that has been building this 'thing' (because it is a MONSTER of design), wants you to truly see what they've done for open-world, adventure, fantasy gaming.

I stopped playing about six months ago. Not because it was bad, but because I kept losing saves of significant progress due to the game's extensive updates. As good as it is and was, I just couldn't keep putting myself through that over and over again and decided, "guys, when you finally release, I'll deep-dive in then (get it?!)".

So here we are, just under two weeks out from the official PC release of the game (other platforms are yet to be announced for official release):

You're invited to a very special livestream, four years in the making. Please join us in 14 days for the launch of Subnautica, live from @MontereyAq in California: https://t.co/K7aGHx2xNb pic.twitter.com/X0gAfcT6Uf

— Subnautica (@Subnautica) January 9, 2018

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If you've followed us at all over the past little while, you might know that I love this game. But more importantly, this is an indie triumph -- a studio usually known for multiplayer games going single-player and open-world, to boot!

It's been a long, long road in development for Subnautica. Released in both Early Access and Xbox One Preview, the game has undergone numerous updates and changes, with the developer remaining ever-transparent throughout, even allowing the public to track their development Trello board. And now, Unknown Worlds is looking to put an official lid on the early access and preview content, in favour of a full, retail release.

The problem is, they don't know when that will be. Internally (and a bit externally), they've always aimed at October 31 for at least the Steam release of the game, but in a recent update over on their official site, fellow Aussie and Unknown Worlds community and all-round do a bit of everything guy, Hugh Jeremy, has now suggested a January 2018 release window. But he's even done that with an asterisk.

When it comes to release dates, only one thing is certain: There is no certainty. While we were quite keen to get Subnautica out on the 31st of October, it now looks most likely that we will release some time in January 2018.

This is a best guess, subject to change, and purely speculative. Like every other time-frame we talk about, it’s best to just smile and nod and expect us to change it again.

I've stopped playing the game at this point, because I don't want to get so deep that I spoil the final, (hopefully) polished version of the game. But if it's time they need to make it the best it can be, I can wait a few extra months. Plus there's plenty of games to play this Holiday Period anyway.

As an aside, a Subnautica fan went ahead and made a pretty incredible LEGO set based on the game and submitted it to LEGO Ideas. Check it out and if you like what you see sea, be sure to click Support to help it along.

Having played the better part of 20-plus hours of No Man's Sky over the past few days, as well as countless hours of Unknown Worlds' Subnautica, we took it upon ourselves to look at the similarities between the two, followed by their differences and weigh up which game you might want to be playing survival in. And, considering Subnautica has had less than half the media attention of No Man's Sky, we thought it was also a good opportunity to bring the game into the light.

So, which game wins?

Here's a snippet from the feature:

In terms of fantastical investment from an exploration perspective, both our own oceans and space represent the best unknowns, and it’s with these two frontiers we compare two games boldly taking us to places we desperately want to go.

No Man’s Sky is currently the talk of the industry. This is a good thing for such a small team who had lofty ambitions. Review scores are trickling in, mere days after release though -- a little too early for mine, because there’s simply so much to explore and learn within the game that scores can’t possibly be accurate just yet. But I digress. What No Man’s Sky represents is an explorer in all of us, while having to adhere to concepts of practicality such as being able to travel across planets, between planets and beyond solar systems to find new planets. It takes construction and resource gathering seriously enough that they become your job; the means by which you can afford to travel between the stars on mystery vacations. It presents us with a seemingly infinite universe to explore, where all you need to get from A to ℼ is a hyperdrive fueled by Antimatter and Thamium9 (to make a Warp Cell). Mysteries present themselves and, as you slowly decode an ancient alien language, your own mark on your trails is left with funny system, planet and neighbourhood names, created by you for the world to see.

Subnautica is, conversely, one-percent of No Man’s Sky. In scope.

Click here for our full No Man's Sky Vs Subnautica feature.

Natural Selection 2 Developer Unknown Worlds is continuing to make good on its commitment to open development of its upcoming game Subnautica, releasing a playable demonstration of its new underwater environment technology as a free download on Steam (via unknownworlds.com):

The Subnautica Terrain Test is a tool that allows users to create procedural, underwater, semi-realistic terrain. A programmer can write a terrain generation algorithm, edit it, and see the terrain change in real time. It is available for free.

The Terrain Test is part of the development of Subnautica, an underwater open world exploration and construction game currently in development at Unknown Worlds. The test has several objectives:

• Allow anyone to create prototype terrain for Subnautica
  
• Get feedback on what kinds of terrain work best
  
• Explore the limits of procedural terrain generation algorithms
  
• Test performance and stability of Subnautica terrain rendering

Right now, the Terrain Test has full basic functionality. However, we will regularly update it through Steam to improve its ability to meet the above objectives. These updates will add new features (Such as Steamworks integration), functions (Such as stat tracking), and fixes (Let's be honest, not everyone will be able to run the Terrain Test perfectly, first go!)

When Unknown Worlds announced Subnautica last December, it described the ambitious game as a combination of sandbox, exploration, cinematic and role playing games, and not a genre that "has yet been invented".

Unknown Worlds, the grassroots indie team known for the Natural Selection Games, has announced its next title, a distinct project titled Subnautica. The initial outline describes the game as an "open world underwater exploration and construction game", further explained as combining elements of role player, sandbox, exploration and cinematic games, and according to the developer: is a genre they 'do not believe has yet been invented'.

We have assembled a small team, and are in the early stages of prototyping Subnautica gameplay. The first in-game art assets are being created, soundscapes are being recorded, and animations are starting to slither, turn and swim. We have created a rich library of concept art, and set about designing and iterating on core elements of gameplay. Subnautica is not in ‘alpha,’ it is an idea that is just starting to be mouled into its first playable incarnations. We are not ready to announce it and try to ‘build buzz’ or ‘attract attention’ – But we are ready, and excited, to share our work with you.

Subnautica aims to elicit a feeling of experiencing the unknown: A sense that you are exploring an untouched world, not knowing how far, or how deep you can go. The underwater environment will invite you to construct submarines and develop your equipment in order to reach its far flung and diverse corners. Decisions you make about vessel layout, capabilities and structure will affect your ability to navigate hazards and enter the domains of creatures; the likes of which your imagination has never conceived of.

The creation of Subnautica will be extremely open. We hope everyone in the Unknown Worlds community, and new faces, will be interested in giving feedback, sharing ideas, and participating in development. You can talk to most of the development team on Twitter and on the Subnautica forums. We will be opening up early Subnautica ‘builds’ (versions of the game) to a wider and wider audience over the coming months, and you will be invited to play.

A few pieces of concept artwork and a developer video touching on studio philosophy of the project have been released, as well as three soundtrack samplers: Ahead Slow, Finding Life, and Into The Unknown.

Take a closer look below, and head over to unknownworlds.com/subnautica for the full scoop.