After the Early Access release of Subnautica 2, a new debate has started within the gaming community. Some players are unhappy with the game’s unkillable or immortal fish system, saying it negatively affects immersion.
The Subnautica series has always been known for its dangerous underwater creatures, but the games mainly focused on survival and exploration rather than combat. Players could catch small fish for food and crafting, while larger predators and Leviathans mostly acted as environmental threats. Although it was technically possible to kill them, there was little reward for doing so. Because of this, the developers encouraged players to avoid combat and focus on smart survival.
Now, Unknown Worlds Entertainment has completely removed the ability to kill fauna in Subnautica 2. Only days after release, players on Reddit and other online forums began criticizing the decision. One Reddit user explained that while they never unnecessarily killed creatures in the original game, the immortal creatures in the sequel make the world feel less believable. The post received thousands of upvotes, showing that a noticeable part of the community shares the same opinion.
Many players also argued that surviving on a hostile alien planet while feeling completely helpless seems strange. Some fans believe players should at least have a proper chance to defend themselves when attacked by dangerous creatures. During the discussion, some users also speculated that Thermoblade might not return in Subnautica 2.
In the original Subnautica and Below Zero, Thermoblade was a popular upgrade that instantly killed and cooked small fish. It was also considered useful against larger aquatic creatures. However, since creatures can no longer take damage, players feel the weapon may no longer have much importance.
The developers had already confirmed that Leviathans and other large creatures would not be killable in Subnautica 2. Although the studio has not fully explained the reasoning behind this design choice, one clear purpose appears to be forcing players to adapt to threats instead of simply eliminating them. This system may also help balance the co-op gameplay, since multiple players could otherwise easily exploit dangerous predators.
Despite the criticism surrounding immortal fish, the overall launch of Subnautica 2 has been highly successful. According to Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the game achieved 2 million sales within its first 12 hours, even though it was also available on Xbox Game Pass from day one.
