Diversity of environments is a key design feature of Subnautica. We want Subnautica players to be able to experience vastly different and beautiful ‘biomes’ as they explore the underwater world. Of course, no underwater world would be complete without a coral reef!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bu9ydODgflw

Cory painted Coral Reef Zone 3 to the team visualise what a coral reef biome might look like. Creating an ‘alien’ coral reef is quite tricky, because by their very nature terrestrial coral reefs already look quite alien!

We also need keep our desire for diversity of coral life in check: Each new life form is a new model that needs to be created and put into the game. There are financial, performance, and time expenses …

Over the past three weeks, we here at Unknown Worlds have released five pieces of concept art. Until today, each one was accompanied by a piece of ambient soundtrack created by Simon. We’ve come to the abrupt realisation that if we keep up at this pace, we will run out of soundtrack before we run out of concept art! So for two weeks, we are giving the Subnautica YouTube channel a break.

That doesn’t mean you allowed to stop visiting the Subnautica channel. Nothing makes Charlie happier than seeing that little ‘subscribers’ number tick upwards, so lets put a new year smile on his dial and subscribe!

The image you see above is called ‘Interior Sketch.’ It …

Unknown Worlds has begun work on a new game: Subnautica. It is an open world, underwater exploration and construction game. Right now, this game is dry dock. The hull is being assembled, technology is being tested, and the crew is in training – Development has started, and you are invited to participate.

We want to share every moment of development with you. Every failure, every success, every setback, every breakthrough. Our most recent development, Natural Selection 2, has been (and continues to be) chronicled by over 424 blog posts. This blog will do the same for Subnautica.

Over the coming months, we hope you will join us. We hope you will tell us what we are doing …