Subnautica 2 is already the fastest-selling Steam game of 2026

- May 21, 2026
- Updated: June 17, 2026 at 7:16 AM

Subnautica 2 has been for years the most wished game on Steam and at its launch, on May 14, it was an absolute sales success. Sweeping among critics and the public, managing to captivate an audience eager for more Subnautica, they have achieved what seemed impossible: it is the fastest-selling game of 2026. This translates into spectacular figures.
Subnautica 2 is taking the world by storm
One week after its release, according to Rhys Elliot, market analysis director at Alinea Analytics, Subnautica 2 has sold 4.1 million copies and generated 100 million dollars in revenue. In comparison, on Xbox it has sold a much more modest 100,000 copies, demonstrating the problem Microsoft has in attracting audiences to its platform.
That said, there is a reason for it. According to Elliot, “many Xbox players accessed Subnautica 2 through Game Pass,” so the total number of players is “well above six million.” This makes Subnautica 2 the best-selling and most played game of 2026 so far.
Something that didn’t seem so likely just a few months ago. The company that was going to publish it, Krafton, tried to cancel it to avoid paying 200 million in profits to its creators if they met the objectives. Finally, although the game has been self-published by its developers, Unknown Worlds, the judge in the trial where it was decided to return the rights stated that, if the conditions for their bonus are met, Krafton will still have to pay them the same. Something that seems to be more than sealed already.
For all these reasons, it points out that Subnautica 2 is one of the great games of the year. And Unknown Worlds is one of the big winners of 2026 in the video game industry. While they started poorly, it seems they are going to end this year very well.
Cultural journalist and writer with a special interest in audiovisuals and everything that can be played. I'm not here to talk about my books, but you can always ask me about them if you're curious.
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