Co-op & Multiplayer
Co-op & MultiplayerDive with up to three friends
Subnautica 2 is built as a single-player experience you can optionally take online — co-op supports up to 4 players and shared progression.
Quick reference — readable without JavaScript
- Beacon Leviathan territory for co-op
Single-player first
Unknown Worlds built the game to work perfectly solo. Co-op is an added layer, not a separate mode that hollows out the campaign.
Up to 4, cross-platform
Sessions support a party of four across all PC (Steam, Epic) and Xbox Series X|S players in the same dive.
Solo ↔ Co-op
You're not locked at world creation. A single-player save can be opened into a co-op session anytime — the world keeps running.
Shared progression
Inventories, storage, PDA database entries, and blueprints are shared — scan one fragment and the whole team unlocks it.
Why shared blueprints matter
Classic co-op survival forces every player to re-grind the same tech tree. Subnautica 2 removes that friction: one player scanning a wreck benefits everyone. It makes splitting up to scan different wrecks a genuinely efficient strategy — and pairs perfectly with the planned Mobile-Base Submarine, a large shared vehicle suited to a four-person squad working the Abyssal Trench.
Customizable base color & lighting (see Base Building) shine in co-op — a whole crew shares one expressive habitat.
Host vs Client — what's shared
Co-op is shared-progression, but the host and a joining client aren't identical. Know the difference before you plan a squad.
How co-op actually plays
Share loot by standing close
Walk up to a teammate and your inventories sync — hand off resources and gear without dropping a single container. Perfect for feeding the base builder mid-dive.
Anyone can build
Every player can place and edit modules in the shared habitat. Split the crew: one harvests while the other expands corridors and power.
Downed? Respawn at the Biobed
Die and you wake at the base Biobed — your respawn point. The Biobed Upgrade is a permanent, squad-wide boost, so build one early and the whole crew benefits.
No PvP, no friendly fire
Co-op is purely cooperative by design — you can't hurt each other, so experiment freely with flares, tools and the Tadpole.
Pick your explorer
Every session opens by choosing from a roster of explorers — a cosmetic/identity pick that carries across solo and co-op saves. Choose together so the crew feels like a real dive team.
Co-op tips from the community
Tag-team the scan game: one player clears a wreck while the other hauls loot, because blueprints are shared the instant anyone scans. Keep the Tadpole parked near the dive site as a shared safe room — its hull eats predator hits so the squad can regroup inside.