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.
- Microsoft Code to Content program (selling keys in retail)
- Full documented project postmortem
PC Updates
2018 Updates
Update 85
April 23rd, 2018
- Fixed ingredient tooltip sometimes only showing the first three ingredients
- Fixed Cyclops upgrade station text display
- Fixed Cyclops upgrade station depth module icons
- Fixed Cyclops thermal upgrade icon
- Fixed physics bug with luggage bags in Cyclops
- Fixed exiting vehicles while in ESC menu
- Fixed enzyme cure ball being pickupable
- Fixed kyanite crystal model
- Fixed build drones bug with mobile vehicle bay
- Fixed exosuit animation bug
- Updated lots of translations
Update 83
March 8th, 2018
- Main menu button texts update correctly when switching languages
- In-game menu button text colors fixed
- F8 panel fully translated
- Cyclops flooding leak indicators now clearly outside of the hull
- Controller navigation and selection boxes fixed
- Builder menu usable with swapped mouse buttons
- Lifepod fabricator lighting fixed
- Cyclops hatch door collider fixed
- Disallow poster placement where wall lockers are disallowed
- Non-localized text removed from color customization terminal
- Physics bugs with ion cubes and precursor keys fixed
- End-game achievements now trigger
- Lost river creatures now immune to brine
- Player mask now correctly lit
- Can not despawn Aurora by building a base next to it anymore
- Seamoth hatch animation fixed
- Changing quality settings in game reminds player to restart the game
- Time capsule UI simplyfied
- Pathfinder tool recipe adjusted
- Entering exosuit while sprinting fixed
Official Release
January 23rd, 2018
- Subnautica is officially completed and out of Early Access
- Neptune Escape Rocket added
- Ending sequence added
- Time Capsule implemented
- The Quarantine Enforcement Platform can now be disabled
2017 Updates
Eye Candy Update
December 7th, 2017
- New graphics options
- Chromatic aberration
- Bloom
- Lens artefacts
- Dithering
- Motion blur
- Colour grading
- Depth of field
- Over 250 bugs fixed, including the Lifepod drift
- When drilling a Large Resource Deposit, drilled resources are automatically put in the inventory of the Prawn Suit
- Bart Torgal, Paul Torgal, Marguerit Maida, Second Officer Keen, Ozzy, CTO Yu, Berkeley, Captain Hollister, Danby, Jochi Khasar and various Alterra crew now have voice actors and playable voice logs
- Scanner Room overhaul
- Dive Reel rework
Minor Update 80
October 31st, 2017
- Multiple bugs removed
- Improved performance
Low-Key Update 79
October 5th, 2017
- Multiple bugs fixed
- Achievements removed
Cuddlefish Update
September 14th, 2017
- Cuddlefish added
- Cuddlefish Eggs Implemented
- New HUDs for Seamoth, Prawn and remotely operated cameras for the Cyclops and Scanner Room.
- Cyclops Engine Efficiency Modules now cost one Computer Chip to fabricate
Ghost Update
August 21st, 2017
- Ghost Leviathan added
- Crash Zone Mesas added
- Power Transmitter model added
- Mountains/Bulb Zone Lost River Cavern added
- PDA Interface enhanced
- New Tooltips to indicate ingredients for recipes
- Lifepod First Use Animations
- Sea Treader Feces model implemented
- New Cyclops Upgrade Module Slots
- New Reaper Leviathan model added
- Enzyme 42 model and cure animation added
- Quarantine Enforcement Platform deactivation sequence added
- Sea Emperor Leviathan (Babies) added
- Sea Emperor Leviathan (Juveniles) added
- New Sparse Reef and Dunes Wrecks added
- Inactive Lava Zone tunnel in Crash Zone removed
- Knives no longer damage bases
- Crafting Tree reworked
- Reaper Leviathan roar animation
- Gravsphere renamed to Grav Trap
- Lights added in Disease Research Facility Cavern entrance
- Blood Kelp Trench widened
- Tree Cove Lost River Cavern widened
- Prawn Suit sit animation
Voice of the Deep
June 21st, 2017
- Primary Containment Facility added
- Sea Emperor Leviathan added
- Sea Emperor Leviathan (Babies) added
- Alien Pipe System added
- Alien Pipe System Vents implemented
- Blue Barnacles added
- Incubator Device added
- Sea Emperor Leviathan Eggs added
- Passive Predators (only in Aquarium) added
- Hatching Enzymes implemented
- Enzyme 42 added
- New PDA UI
- New Icon UI
- Further Cyclops Improvements
- New Habitat Builder Menu UI
- New Bar Table model
- New Lab Counter model
- New Coffee Vending Machine model
- New Trash Can model
- Alien Relics added
- Ghost Forest Warp Gate Cache added
- Bulb Zone Teleporter Cache added
- Crag Field extended
- Lifepod 7 implemented
- Toy Car implemented
- An Unusual Doll implemented
- Cyclops Thermal Reactor Module added
- Air tanks no longer stackable
- Ultra High Capacity Tank added
- Lightweight High Capacity Tank added
- Performance and Stability Fixes
- Batteries and Power Cells now charge to appropriate levels
- New Rebreather model
- New Wiring Kit model
- New Benzene model
- New Polyaniline model
- New Nutrient Block model
- New models for loot cube items
- Koosh Zone name now changed to "Bulb Zone"
- Koosh Zone Caves -> Bulb Zone Caves
- Koosh Bush -> Bulb Bush
- Beacon HUD models changed
Silent Running Update
April 28th, 2017
- New HUD
- New Toolbar
- New Compass indicators
- New PDA UI
- Data Boxes added
- New resource models added
- Big polish to Grassy Plateaus Caves
- New Crabsnake Egg model
- Crabsquid Egg added
- Lava Lizard Egg added
- Massive Cyclops Upgrades
- Added Creature Decoy
- New Damage Display
- Hologram Projector of Dangerous Creatures
- Speed Changes
- Built in Compass
- Cyclops can be destroyed
- Shield Module added
- Sonar Module added
- Fire Suppression Module added
- Decoy Tube Module added
- Docking Bay Repair Module added
- Cyclops Power Efficiency Module and Power Efficiency Module added
- Improved Controls
- Sea Dragon Leviathan Egg added to Disease Research Facility
- Crag Field Teleporter Cache
- Mushroom Forest Teleporter Cache
Infected Update
March 2nd, 2017
- Primary Containment Facility exterior
- Disease Research Facility interior
- Lost River Laboratory added
- Big polish to the Lost River Ghost Canyon
- Self scanning implemented
- The Kharaa Bacterium 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
- New Crabsnake egg model implemented
- Fixed Lava Larva hitbox
- Lava Castle smoke implemented
- Dunes Sinkhole revamped
- Northern Blood Kelp Zone Alien Cache entrance made more visible
- New Alien Robot 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 Machine implemented
- You can now get Coffee
- Alien Drone implemented
- Blue Alien Artifact implemented
- Dunes Crater, Blood Kelp Dunes Transition And Blood Kelp Mountains transition added
- New Vending Machine model
- Snacks added
- Beacon Manager implemented
- Oxygen warning shortened
- Ion Power Cell and Ion Battery 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 Alien Caches implemented
- New Air Bladder model and animations
- Added Kyanite to recipe for 3rd stage of the rocket (resource sink)
- Reaper Leviathan Skeletons implemented
2016 Updates
Precursor Update
December 15, 2016
- Sunbeam implemented
- Avery Quinn's voice lines are implemented
- Ion Crystals added
- Quarantine Enforcement Platform added
- Alien Warp Gates added
- Purple Alien Tablet 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 Alien 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 Alien Base exterior added
- New Pipe models added
- New Reefback additions and improvements added
- Mesmers are more mesmerising
- Spine Eel implemented
- New models for Reinforced Dive Suit and Stillsuit added
- Subnautica now works on the HTC Vive
Dangerous Creatures
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
- Ghostray added
- Crimson Ray added
- Deep Grand Reef Degasi Seabase added
- Kyanite Crystal added
- Main Menu Logo updated
Prawn Update
August 23rd, 2016
- Prawn Suit added
- 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
(Micro) Update 67
July 6th, 2016
- Improved Performance
- VR Bug Fixes
- Xbox Controllers can be used on the PC
- Main Menu updated
Power Nap Update
June 1st, 2016
- Beds added
- Sea Treader Leviathan added
- Power Cell Charger added
- Battery Charger added
- Seamoth Gas Torpedo added
- New Solar Panel model
- Starship Souvenir added
- Wall Shelves added
- Single Wall Shelf added
- Arcade Gorge Toy added
- Luggage Bag added
- Caps added
- Trash Can added
- Lab Trash Can added
Machinery Update
May 6th, 2016
- 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
Oculus Update
April 5th, 2016
- 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
(Xbox One release): Crash Sequence
March 16th, 2016
- 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
Farming
February 25th, 2016
- Floating Island and Jellyshroom Cave Degasi Bases 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
- Wall Planter added
- Light Stick added
- Eggs added
- Location accurate lighting (Part of Flood Of Dead Bugs)
- Many more Wrecks added
Flood Of Dead Bugs
January 28th, 2016
- Floodlight added
- >50 bugs fixed
- Location accurate lighting (lots of objects now don't reflect the Safe Shallows anymore)
H2.0 Update
January 14th, 2016
- 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 Updates
Get Wrecked
December 15th, 2015
- The first Wreck added
- Laser Cutter added
- NS2 Poster added
Water Filtration Machine
November 20th, 2015
- Water Filtration Machine added
- Big Filtered Water added
Shocking Update
November 5th, 2015
- 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
Seamoth Update
September 10th, 2015
- 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
- Mountains Caves added
- Biter added
- Oculus added
- Mountains Biome added
- Mountain Island added
- Koosh Zone extended
- Mushroom Forest extended
- Underwater Islands extended
- Kelp Forest extended
- Jellyshroom Cave lighting improvements
- Creative Mode added
- PDA Operating System updated
Habitat Update
August 6th, 2015
- 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
Macworld Update
June 19th, 2015
- Subnautica is now playable on Apple (Mac) computers
- Underwater Islands added
- Sparse Reef added
- Repulsion Cannon added
Alterra Science Update
May 28th, 2015
- Workbench added
- Propulsion Cannon added
- Survival Knife, Tank, and Fins can now be upgraded.
- Heat Knife added
- Diamond Knife/Hardened Blade added
- Swim Charge Fins added
- High Capacity Tank added
- Plasteel Tank added
- Ultra Glide Fins added
- New Cyclops additions
- Beacons are now nameable
Crash Site Update
April 30th, 2015
- Aurora now explodes
- Aurora now explorable
- Radiation now spreads over time
- Reaper Leviathan added
- Radiation Suit added
- Cave Crawler added
Bases Update
March 13th, 2015
- 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
New Loot System
February 25th, 2015
- Loot system updated
Cyclops Introduction
February 5th, 2015
Dev Update 8
January 16th, 2015
- 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 Updates
Dev Update 7
December 23rd, 2014
- 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
Early Access Release
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 Pre-Alpha Updates
2013 December 15
- Subnautica first announced
Xbox Updates
2017 Updates
Xbox Infected Update
March 8, 2017
- Primary Containment Facility exterior
- Disease Research Facility interior
- Lost River Laboratory added
- Big polish to the Lost River Ghost Canyon
- Self scanning implemented
- The Kharaa Bacterium 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
- New Crabsnake egg model implemented
- Fixed Lava Larva hitbox
- Lava Castle smoke implemented
- Dunes Sinkhole revamped
- Northern Blood Kelp Zone Alien Cache entrance made more visible
- New Alien Robot 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
Xbox Castles & Coffee + Precursor Update
February 24, 2017
- Sunbeam implemented
- Avery Quinn's voice lines are implemented
- Ion Crystals added
- Quarantine Enforcement Platform added
- Alien Warp Gates added
- Purple Alien Tablet 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 Alien 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
- Precursor Thermal Power Generator implemented
- Lava Castle revamped and polished
- Coffee Vending Machine implemented
- You can now get Coffee
- Alien Drone implemented
- Blue Alien Artifact implemented
- Dunes Crater, Blood Kelp Dunes Transition And Blood Kelp Mountains transition added
- New Vending Machine model
- Snacks added
- Beacon Manager implemented
- Oxygen warning shortened
- Ion Power Cell and Ion Battery 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 Alien Caches implemented
- New Air Bladder model and animations
- Added Kyanite to recipe for 3rd stage of the rocket (resource sink)
- Reaper Leviathan Skeletons implemented
Xbox Bones Update
January 3, 2017
- Lost River Ghost Tree Chamber added
- Lost River Bones Field added
- Lost River Junction added
- Lost River Alien Bases exterior added
- New Pipe models added
- New Reefback Leviathan additions and improvements added
- Mesmers are more mesmerizing
- Spine Eel implemented
- New models for Reinforced Dive Suit and Stillsuit added
- Subnautica now works on the HTC Vive
2016 Updates
Xbox Dangerous Creatures Update
October 6, 2016
- Lost River - Tree Cove added
- Sea Dragon Leviathan added
- Warper added
- Crabsquid EMP blast added
- Heat damage added
- Reinforced Dive Suit added
- Ghostray added
- Crimson Ray added
- Deep Grand Reef Degasi Seabase added
- Kyanite Crystal added
- Main Menu Logo updated
Xbox PRAWN Update
August 29, 2016
- Prawn Suit added
- 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
Xbox Update 2
August 16th, 2016
- Many Performance Improvements
- Language Options Added
Xbox Update 1
July 10th, 2016
- Beds added
- Sea Treader Leviathan added
- Power Cell Charger added
- Battery Charger added
- Seamoth Gas Torpedo added
- New Solar Panel model
- Starship Souvenir added
- Wall Shelves added
- Single Wall Shelf added
- Arcade Gorge Toy added
- Luggage Bag added
- Caps added
- Trash Can added
- Lab Trash Can added
- 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
- 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
- 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
- Floating Island and Jellyshroom Caves Degasi Bases 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
- Wall Planter added
- Light Stick added
- Eggs added
- Location accurate lighting (Part of Flood Of Dead Bugs)
- Many more Wrecks added
- Floodlight added
- >50 bugs fixed
- Location accurate lighting (lots of objects now don't reflect the Safe Shallows anymore)