Unknown Worlds has released the first major update for its underwater survival game Subnautica 2, addressing a long-running debate among players over whether they should be able to kill the creatures they encounter. The update, called Adaptive Measures, arrived on Wednesday and offers a compromise: players can now shoot and stun fish, but they still cannot kill them. This matters because the question of in-game violence has been a notable point of contention within the community since the game's early access launch, with some players wanting lethal options and others, including the developers, preferring a non-lethal approach.

The update repurposes the Sonic Resonator tool as a stun gun, giving creatures new "stun states" so players receive clear feedback when a fish is hit, and it also tweaks flinch animations to signal when a creature is preparing to flee. Other additions include the ability to sprint. Subnautica 2 launched in early access in May to positive reviews, selling one million copies within an hour and now exceeding four million sales. Unknown Worlds relies heavily on community feedback during early access and estimates the full 1.0 launch is still two to three years away, with an Early Access 1.2 update next on the roadmap but not yet dated.