Update History (Subnautica)

This article's aim is to provide a timeline of the various updates to the stable version and the most important additions of certain updates.

Upcoming Updates

Note: These updates have not been implemented into Subnautica, and changes are bound to happen. All information is taken from Trello.

Prison without Aquarium - April 4, 2017

• Re-apply to PEGI to get it closer to our E10+
• Craftable Time Capsule
• Prison
  • Prison Aquarium room
  • Prison Antechamber
  • Prison Moonpool room
• Redesigned HUD
• Redo Crafting Icons
• Try fade checkbox to reduce pop-in
• FOV Slider
• Fix 1 second pause between switching Tools
• Tune algorithm for choosing what to load next to reduce pop-in
• Rework some of the Crash Zone area near the edge of the Aurora
• Detailing Remaining Sandy Areas
• Internal
• Start PS4 Port?
• Unknown Worlds team retreat to Orlando
• Cyclops Drivability Improvements

​Aquarium Experience - Mid-May, 2017

• Fix terrain seams
• Rework Game Modes Into Custom UI
• Compress Save Files
• Pass on Grassy Plateaus
• Fix missing and extra coliders near Aurora (esp, getting in)
• Polish Constructor and usability
• Pass on a couple lower-detail Kelp Forest areas
• Internal
• Prep Special Edition
• Design and start filming trailer
• Start design of launch site
• Prep Soundtrack Files

Internal feature complete - End-May, 2017

• Fix the void or make it dangerous to be in (Ghost Leviathan, Sea Dragons, etc.)
• Nice Launch Site
• Internal
• End Game Tasks

June - Polish Month

• Blast off sequence (hold back)
• Communicate price increase?
• Cutefish (for people who bought before V1.0) (Special Edition)
• Submit XB1 v1.0 cert (1 month delay)
• Credits screen
• Cyclops Trademark Notice
• Xbox Trailer

July, August, September

• Performance Work
• Launch Trailer

End Of September - Launch v1.0

• Press tour around San Francisco
• Price increase at v1.0
• Possible firewatch style event at the box
• Subnautica China Launch

2017

Infected Update - March 2, 2017

• Primary Containment Facility exterior
• Disease Research Facility interior
• Lost River Laboratory added
• Big polish to the Lost River Ghost Canyon
• Self scanning implemented
• Carar now infects the player
• Added Crag Field biome
• Improved Scanner Room map
• PDA drag and drop implemented
• Sea Dragon Leviathan, Ancient Skeleton, Disease Research Facility Skeletons implemented
• Fixed Lava Larva hitbox
• Lava Castle smoke implemented
• Dunes Sinkhole revamped
• Blood Kelp Precursor Cache entrance made more visible
• New Alien Drone animations
• New Crabsquid animations
• New Warper animations
• New Hoverfish animations
• New Bleeder animations
• Sea Dragon Leviathan attacks revamped
• Deep Grand Reef entrance tunnel to the Inactive Lava Zone removed

Castles & Coffee Update - January 26, 2017

• Precursor Thermal Power Generator implemented
• Lava Castle revamped and polished
• Coffee Vending Machines implemented
  • You can now get Coffee
• Alien Drones implemented
• Blue Precursor Artifact implemented
• Dunes Crater, Blood Kelp Dunes Transition And Blood Kelp Mountains transition added
• New Vending Machine model
• Snacks added
• Ping Manager implemented
• Oxygen warning shortened
• Ion Power Cells and Ion Batteries implemented
• Halved Seaglide light energy cost
• Quartered Seaglide active energy cost
• Removed frame-rate dependence problem with Seaglide energy usage
• Removed Kyanite from Blood Kelp Zone (only drillable now)
• You can now skip time by sleeping in Beds
• New Gravsphere model and features
• Removed Bases terraforming land
• Luggage Bag storage implemented
• Lab Trash Can and Trash Can now work
• Blood Kelp Zone and Dunes Precursor Caches implemented
• New Airbladder model and animations
• Added Kyanite to recipe for 3rd stage of the rocket (resource sink)
• Reaper Leviathan Skeletons implemented

2016

Precursor Update - December 15, 2016

• Sunbeam implemented
  • Avery Quinn
• Ion Crystals added
• Quarantine Enforcement Platform added
• Precursor Teleporters added
• Purple Precursor Artifact added
• Precursor Artifact terminals added
• Floating Island and Lost River polish
• More Floating Island Beaches added
• Fall Damage added
• You can now use the PDA in vehicles
• Sparse Reef Precursor Cache implemented
• Mountain Island's caves are expanded
• HUD notifications for radio messages
• New PDA updates for Wrecks
• Continued work on optimization & stability improvements
• Land-based movement improvements
• Extensive loot balancing for player progression
• Constructable Improvements
• Special Giveaway Items

Bones Update - October 27, 2016

• Lost River Ghost Tree Chamber added
• Lost River Bones Field added
• Lost River Junction added
• Lost River Precursor Base exterior added
• New Pipe models added
• New Reefback additions and improvements added
• Mesmers are more mesmerising
• River Prowler implemented
• New models for Reinforced Dive Suit and Stillsuit added
• Subnautica now works on the HTC Vive

Dangerous Creatures/Tree Cove - September 22, 2016

• Lost River - Tree Cove added
• Sea Dragon Leviathan added
• Warper added
• Crabsquid EMP blast added
• Heat damage added
• Reinforced Dive Suit added
• Ghost Ray added
• Crimson Ray added
• Deep Grand Reef Abandoned Seabase added
• Kyanite Crystal added
• Main Menu Logo updated

2016 August 23: PRAWN UPDATE

• PRAWN Suit added
  • PRAWN Suit Drill Arm
  • PRAWN Suit Grappling Arm
  • PRAWN Suit Jump Jet Upgrade
  • PRAWN Suit Propulsion Cannon
  • PRAWN Suit Thermal Reactor
  • PRAWN Suit Torpedo Arm
• Lava Larva added
• Lava Lizard added
• Lava Eyeye added 
• Lava Boomerang added 
• Crashfish eggs added
• Sprint ability added
• Cyclops cameras now have lights
• The Encyclopedia now has icons after scanning
• Inactive Lava Zone and Active Lava Zone both get massive overhauls
• Kitty, PRAWN Suit and Aurora Posters added
• It is now possible to quit to the Main Menu

2016 June 1: POWER NAP UPDATE

• Beds added
• Sea Treader added
• Power Cell Charger added
• Battery Charger added
• Seamoth Gas Torpedo added
• New Solar Panel model
• Starship Souvenir added
• Wall Shelves added
• Single Wall Shelfes added
• Arcade Gorge Toy added
• Luggage Bag added
• Caps added
• Trash Can added
• Lab Trash Can added

2016 May 6: MACHINERY UPDATE

• Scanner Room
• Bioreactor, Nuclear Reactor and Thermal Plant remodeling
• Cyclops 2.0
  • The default depth has been increased from 200m to 500m
  • Proximity sensors have been added to assist with navigation
  • Lockers on lower deck are now functional
  • Added exterior stationary hull cameras that can be accessed while driving
  • New hatch animations means the hatch opens and closes when approached
• Crabsquid
• Added the Northen Blood Kelp Zone
• Fauna that are eaten or killed will respawn
• Waterproof Locker gets new model, features and animations

2016 April 5: OCULUS UPDATE

• Oculus Rift is now fully supported
• You can now sit in all the Chairs and on Benches
• Sitting in Chairs and on Benches slows down food and water depletion
• Airsack, Boneshark, Reefback, Stalker, and the Reaper Leviathan have new and better animations
• Fragments will now spawn mostly within Wrecks
• Oxygen is now only produced when your Seabase, Seamoth, and Cyclops has power
• Different sound effects for multiple Tools
• Main Menu has a new background

2016 March 16/May 17 (Xbox One release): CRASH SEQUENCE

• Intro Sequence added
• Fire Extinguisher added
• Medical Kit Fabricator added
• You can now fully repair Lifepod 5
  • You can also repair the Communications Relay
• New PDA boot up sequence

2016 February 25: FARMING

• Abandoned Seabases implemented
• Large Aquarium added
• Farming added
  • Nearly every Flora can be harvested now
• Spotlight added
• Planter Shelf added
• Exterior Growbed added
• Interior Growbed added
• Plant Pots added
• Living Wall added
• Light Stick added
• Eggs added
• Location accurate lighting (Part of Flood Of Dead Bugs)
• Many more Wrecks added

2016 January 28: FLOOD OF DEAD BUGS

• Floodlight added
• >50 bugs fixed
• Location accurate lighting (lots of objects now don't reflect the Safe Shallows anymore)

2016 January 14: H2.O UPDATE

• Massive overhaul of water graphics
• Scanner added
• Ocean environment updated
• Items now have proper 3D models
• Subtitles added
• Language support added
• New Fragment system
• PDA Data Bank and Encyclopedia added
• Message log in PDA

2015 ALPHA STAGE

2015 December 15: GET WRECKED 

• The first Wreck added
• Laser Cutter added
• NS2 Poster added

2015 November 20: WATER FILTRATION MACHINE

• Water Filtration Machine added
• Big Filtered Water added

2015 November 5: SHOCKING UPDATE

• Shocker added
• Seaglide now has a topographic map
• Picture Frame added
• Volume controls in the pause menu added
• PDA Log section added
• PDA gallery added
• PDA Animation added
• Crabsnake added
• Ladders can now be placed in more places in the Multipurpose Room
• Blood Kelp Zone added
• Blood Biter added
• Cave Crawler reskinned
• Spinefish added
• Blood Crawler added
• Blood Oil added
• Bloodvine added
• Blood Cave Root added
• Deep Shroom added
• Gabe's Feather added

2015 September 10: SEAMOTH UPDATE

• Seamoth now has an upgrade panel
• Vortex Torpedo added
• Seamoth Perimeter Defense System added
• Seamoth Sonar Module added
• Seamoth Hull Reinforcement Module added
• Battery Expansion Module added
• Armour Plating Module added
• Seamoth can now be customized
• Upgrade Console added
• More Caves added
  • Mountain Range Caves added
• Biter added
• Oculus added
• Mountains Biome added
  • Mountain Island added
• Koosh Zone extended
• Mushroom Forest extended
• Underwater Islands extended
• Kelp Forest extended
• Jelly Shroom Caves lighting improvements
• Creative Mode added
• PDA Operating System updated

2015 August 6: HABITAT UPDATE

• Moon Pool added
• Observatory added
• Multipurpose Room added
• Bulkhead doors added
• Small locker added
• Signs and Seabase names added
• I-Corridor Glass and L-Corridor Glass added
• Vertical Connector added
• Grand Reef expanded
  • Deep Grand Reef added
• Magnetite added
• Creepvine Seed Clusters added

2015 June 19: MACWORLD UPDATE

• Subnautica is now playable on Apple (Mac) computers
• Underwater Islands added
• Sparse Reef added
• Repulsion Cannon added

2015 May 28: ALTERRA SCIENCE UPDATE

• Workbench added
• Propulsion Cannon added
• Survival Knife, Tank, and Fins can now be upgraded.
  • Heat Knife added
  • Diamond Knife added
  • Swim Charge Fins added
  • High Capacity Tank added
  • Plasteel Tank added
  • Ultra Glide Fins added
• New Cyclops additions
  • Cyclops's doors now open/close
  • Cyclops now has an upgrade console
  • Cyclops's lights improved
  • Cyclops now has upgrades
  • Cyclops can now be customised with colors
• Beacons are now nameable

2015 April 30: CRASH SITE UPDATE

• Aurora now explodes
• Aurora now explorable
• Radiation now spreads over time
• Reaper Leviathan added
• Radiation Suit added
• Cave Crawler added

2015 March 13: BASES UPDATE

• Seabases added
  • Habitat Builder added
  • Buildable Fabricators added
  • Foundations added
  • Hatches added
  • Corridor added
  • L Corridor added
  • T Corridor added
  • X Corridor added
  • Ladders added
  • Windows added
  • Reinforcements added
  • Hull Integrity added

2015 February 25: NEW LOOT SYSTEM

• Loot system updated

2015 February 5: CYCLOPS INTRODUCTION

• Cyclops added
  • Seamoth can now be docked (inside Cyclops)
  • Cyclops is nameable

2015 January 16: DEV UPDATE 8

• In-game feedback system added
• Stasis Rifle added
• Terraformer added
• Load/Save added
• Menu updated
• Pipes added
• Air Bladder added
• Bleeder added
• Boneshark added
• Compass added
• Current Generator added
• Inventory system updated
  • You can now dump unwanted loot much easier
• Beacons are added and craftable
• HUD elements updated

2014 PRE-ALPHA STAGE

2014 December 23: DEV UPDATE 7

• Gravsphere added
• Lifepod 5 storage added
• Now supports Oculus Rift DK2
• Storage Cubes added
• Oxygen replenishes faster
• Lifepod Beacon now doesn't disappear from far distances
• Gasopods now release more defensive gas when you approach them
• Fixed the problem when PCs with Nvidia SLI setups don't see the oxygen bar
• Lifepod 5's Beacon is now visible from farther distances 
• Oxygen now replenishes more quickly at the surface
• Large Creature's AI is now improved

2014 December 16:

• Subnautica Early Access released

2014 December 7:

• Flare and Sand Shark added to Subnautica

2014 November 22

• Floater added to Subnautica

2014 November 14:

• Deformable environment added

2014 November 5:

• Experimental Mode is added to Subnautica

2014 September 27:

• Gasopod is added to Subnautica

2014 September 5:

• Cyclops flooding is being developed

2014 August 23:

• Cyclops is announced and being developed

2014 July 8:

• Aurora is added to Subnautica

2014 April 24:

• Subnautica release at PAX still in Pre-alpha stage

2014 April 11:

• Subnautica created still in Pre-alpha stage

2013

2013 December 15

• Subnautica first announced