Play Tweakers

We know that Subnautica 2 is going into early access for a decent length of time, but we’ll check if you can play early access even earlier, and whether you can play it for free via a free Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Two big questions to answer for you today: Does the early access have early access to let you play earlier than early access (was that fun to read?), and if Subnautica 2 is an Xbox Game Pass benefit. With Xbox heading in the right direction, this would be a huge coup.

Will Subnautica 2 Early Access Be Available Before Release?

There is no way to get your hands on Subnautica 2 before it goes live in early access.

Believe me, we’ve all seen it: Early access games with even early access. It was a sensible question asked about Subnautica 2, but it’s not the case here. Developer and publisher Unkonon Worlds Entertainment has made it clear that early access begins on May 14 for all players.

Speaking of which, make sure you know how long Subnautica 2 will be in early access for, along with news of its 1.0 release in the future.

Is Subnautica 2 Early Access on Xbox Game Pass?

You need either a Game Pass Ultimate or PC Game Pass subscription to be able to play Subnautica 2 for free through Xbox Game Pass.

Subnautica 2 is part of the Xbox Game Pass May 2026 Wave 1 Titles. With Xbox’s CEO addressing pricing missteps, Microsoft has been on a warpath to fix its image.

One thing that isn’t changing too much is the subscription service adding high-quality games to its library.

It remains to be seen if Subnautica 2 ends up being of this calibre, but as long as people have the right subscription, early access is going to be extremely popular!

Will you be playing Subnautica 2 Early Access on Xbox or PC? Is it worth getting Game Pass to save money on the full price? If you’re unsure, why not discuss it with other Insider Gaming community members via our free-to-join Discord Server?

The news and content don’t stop there; we know it’s hard to keep up with everything, so if you missed it, read about why Subnautica 2 was actually delayed in the first place.

Andy is Insider Gaming’s Senior Evergreen Editor and has been in the games journalism sphere in one way or another for over 7 years. His video game taste is as…

More from Andrew Highton