Subnautica 2has officially issued an apology after its development team told a user demanding countermeasures against deep-sea creatures to 'go play another game,' sparking controversy.

Unknown Worlds released an apology statement on its official website on the 20th. The development team stated, "We are well aware that some of our team's remarks made you, our players, feel dismissed. We sincerely apologise for this." They added, "Early Access should be a dialogue with players, not a one-sided explanation from the development team. Your feedback is extremely important, and we will not leave a negative impression on the community."

This incident began when remarks made by an employee on the official Discord server came under fire. In response to a user pointing out the lack of ways to deal with threatening monsters in the game's ecosystem, a developer retorted with a sharp response, suggesting, "Since Subnautica 2 is not about killing, if you want combat, look for Sons of the Forest." While some saw this as an answer based on a firm development philosophy, others criticised it as an overly aggressive response to feedback expressing discomfort.

In reality, many users have consistently pointed out the lack of means to counter the game's dangerous creatures. Even when hazardous monsters appear near key resource gathering spots or bases, there's no effective way to drive them away, leading to significant player fatigue. Complaints have also surfaced that defensive equipment is nearly useless due to its low effectiveness. Consequently, players feel it's difficult to experience the inherent sense of achievement in survival games, which involves overcoming natural threats through technological advancement, and instead, the stress only increases.

In their apology, the development team explained, "The core element of Subnautica is surviving by exploring unknown spaces in a vulnerable state, rather than direct combat using weapons." However, they acknowledged, "For this design intention to work properly, encounters with monsters need to be logical and engaging, which is not currently the case."

To address these issues, the development team has promised extensive improvements. Firstly, they plan to adjust monster attack frequency and detection range, and significantly enhance the utility of survival tools. They also aim to restore the inherent enjoyment of deep-sea exploration by improving player interactions with creatures around vehicles and bases. Furthermore, several elements will be improved over the next few weeks to resolve concerns raised by the community.