Subnautica 2 has sold 4.1M copies and generated $100M in under a week (
@alineaanalytics estimates).
The vast majority of those copies were sold via Steam (4M), with Xbox selling under 100K. That said, plenty of Xbox players got their hands on Subnautica 2 thanks to Game Pass.
Across console, Windows, and cloud, 2.4M gamers have played Subnautica 2 via Game Pass, as per our estimates. So the overall player number is well over 6M.
As things stand, Subnautica 2 is also the fastest-selling Steam game of the year so far. In terms of copies sold five days in on Steam, Subnautica 2 (4M sold on Steam) is selling:
- 1.4x faster than Slay the Spire 2 (2.9M, five days in)
- Almost 2x faster than Resident Evil Requiem (2.1M)
- 3x faster than Crimson Desert (1.3M sold)
But owing to differences in price, Requiem is the clear leader in terms of Steam gross revenue with $120M five days in, versus $96M for Subnautica 2, $78M for Crimson Desert, and $58M for Slay the Spire 2. Regional pricing and a high share of Chinese players limited the revenue somewhat for Slay the Spire 2.
The Requiem comparison is a neat example of the early-access pricing thesis. Capcom got $120M up front. Unknown Worlds got 4M players locked into a five-year content runway, with DLC, expansions, and an eventual full-launch price uplift all still ahead.
Of course, each major content drop will produce a Steam algorithm uplift, wishlist reactivation, fresh press coverage, and a DAU spike that resembles a launch in miniature.
I was making good use of my Game Pass subscription last night to bounce between Forza and Subnautica 2. And I must say, Subnautica 2 is one of the most polished early-access releases I’ve seen, and definitely one of the best Unreal Engine 5 launches so far.
It’s awesome. Bloody well done to Unknown Worlds. And another 2026 banger for the books.
Full write-up on the free Substack (link is on my profile)
We'll post some Forza estimates and thoughts on Friday.