Subnautica 2 dev thinks early access teams should worry less about adding features that are “very ugly, incomplete, or prototype”
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.
In short
- 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.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Releasing rough features early can give developers useful feedback before they invest heavily in the wrong direction. It can also build trust by letting players see how a game is made and shape its development, as Gallegos says happened with the original Subnautica.
The case against
Early access players may reasonably expect a game to meet a certain standard, and very incomplete features can make it harder to judge its potential or enjoy it. With so many games competing for attention, rough releases may also invite comparisons with more polished titles and put pressure on smaller teams to meet expectations set by larger-budget games.
Explained simply
Early access lets players buy and play a game while it is still being developed. Studios can use players’ feedback to guide changes, but games released this way vary: some are shaped in public over a long period, while others arrive in paid beta closer to completion.
Unknown Worlds is the studio behind the original Subnautica, a survival game set underwater, and its follow-up, Subnautica 2. Creative director Anthony Gallegos says the studio used player responses to help shape the first game, and sees early access as part of how it develops games.
With thousands of early access games appearing on Steam, newer teams face a crowded market and players may judge their work against better-established studios. Big-budget releases can also influence what players expect from early access games more broadly.
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