Most players will agree thatSubnauticaand its sequelSubnautica: Below Zeroare not typical survival games. They blend together the rich and unique environments of the ocean with the underlying fear of what lies deeper below. But unlike other survival games, theSubnauticaseries is delivered as a single-player-only experience, diverging away from a good portion of the gaming industry that embraces the multiplayer or co-operative styles of gameplay. Other games likeRaftorGroundedwhich deliver like-minded experiences are able to include multiplayer options, so theSubnauticaseries stands as an outlier compared to its competitors.
However, not including the option of multiplayer, even if it were just limited to a select few players, brings with it more disadvantages than advantages and setsSubnauticaback when compared to other survival games. Even as the series remains strong with its latestSubnautica: Below Zerochanging things upfrom the original, developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment will need to start considering expandingSubnautica’shorizons for future games. One of these improvements should be the inclusion of a co-op system, allowing players to invite friends to join them on their deep sea adventures and build underwater bases together.
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The Reason Co-Op Isn’t in Subnautica Yet
According to Unknown Worlds Entertainment,Subnauticawas originally meant to have a multiplayer element to it, but this was cut to release the game faster. However, now that the games have become a success, it concedes it’s now in a difficult position: Unknown Worlds Entertainment would still like to add co-op or multiplayer, but in order to do so it would need to start from scratch to rework the games' mechanics to fit. In fact, Unknown Worlds Entertainment suggested it may someday follow inDon’t Starve Together’smultiplayerby releasing an updated version of the game.
In short, for the small developer, multiplayer or co-op modes are not a priority as it continues to work on, patch, and update its games. However, this doesn’t mean that players won’t ever have the opportunity to playSubnauticahow it had been originally envisioned, as the modding community has come to the rescue. Though not official, mods exist forSubnauticathat introduce multiplayercapacity, and while prone to the odd glitch, it does demonstrate the potential the franchise has if it were to finally recommit to a proper multiplayer mode.
Future Subnautica Multiplayer
Whether futureSubnauticagames will feature a multiplayer mode will remain dependent on Unknown Worlds Entertainment, but given the level of work it has stated that would be needed to transform its current formula to fit, it doesn’t seem likely. However, the developer should at least revisit the idea of working withSubnauticamodding communitiesor even third parties to find a means of incorporating a multiplayer mode officially as it could greatly benefit the game. Doing so would not only bringSubnauticaforward to match the likes of other survival games, but it would add a depth of new possibilities.
While it’s possible to argue that by focusing on single-player gameplaySubnauticais able to deliver a polished narrative experience, other survival games have still achieved this and simultaneously still included multiplayer and cooperative modes. For instance,Groundedis an excellent example of a survival game that caters to a broad scope of players while delivering on its narrative, especially whenGroundedis expected to be released in full later this month. Even when in cases of early access, building survival games from the ground up with multiplayer in mind works.
By allowing multiplayer or co-op modes infutureSubnauticagames, players can be incentivized to play with friends as the gameplay experience will be both shared and built upon. Even limiting this multiplayer to four players or fewer will be more than enough to encourage players to get more creative and engaged with the game. For example, some players might delegate roles from resource-gathering to base-building, while others might push for embarking on team expeditions diving into the oceans' depths. For a single player, all the fun, work, discoveries, victories, and losses found inSubnauticaare all restricted to just one lone experience, but multiplayer would allow for new shared adventures.
Subnautica: Below Zerois available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
