# Subnautica 2 dev thinks early access teams should worry less about adding features that are “very ugly, incomplete, or prototype”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/subnautica-2-dev-thinks-early-access-teams-should-worry-less-about-adding-features-that-are-very-ugly-incomplete-or-prototype/
- Published: 2026-10-28T15:40:46+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-28T16:56:56+00:00
- Original publisher: Rock Paper Shotgun
- Original article: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/subnautica-2-dev-thinks-early-access-teams-should-worry-less-about-adding-features-that-are-very-ugly-incomplete-or-prototype
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Research, Science

## Key points

- Unknown Worlds favours sharing rough features early.
- Player feedback helped shape the original Subnautica.
- Early access ranges from open development to near-release beta launches.

## Summary

Subnautica 2 creative director Anthony Gallegos says developers should put new features into early access early, even when they are rough or incomplete, and learn from players’ responses. He says this open approach helped shape the original Subnautica and built a trusting audience, making player feedback central to Unknown Worlds’ development.

Gallegos describes early access as core to the studio’s approach, while recognising that it now covers very different release strategies, from long-term open development to paid beta launches close to full release. SteamDB figures cited in the article show 2,924 early access games launched on Steam so far this year, adding to pressure on newer teams as players compare them with established developers. Another studio chief argues that large-budget games such as Subnautica 2 help set expectations for the whole market.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.