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Metro 2039Characters
Subnautica 2's characters are your silent Pioneer (six playable looks since update 1.2 added Jegna and Grace), NOA, the Cicada's Noetic Advisor AI, a second AI voice, and the vanished colonists heard only in blackbox recordings, such as Anita, Chap, Wander, Ruby, Quaker, Sophie, Nahema, Wu, Singh and Zip.
Spoiler warning: the sections on NOA and the colonists describe what you learn in the story.
Subnautica 2's cast is mostly voices. You play a silent Pioneer of Alterra's colony program, picked from a set of pre-designed characters to which update 1.2 Buddy System (Aug 19, 2026) added Jegna and Grace (Unknown Worlds). The one who talks to you is NOA, the Cicada's AI, the "Noetic Advisor" (GamingBolt, May 18, 2026), at its terminals. Everyone else is a colonist who came before you and vanished, heard in blackbox recordings and logs: Anita, Chap, Wander, Ruby, Quaker, Sophie, Nahema, Wu, Singh, Zip and others. The story they tell is on Story and Lore. The clip is the opening of the game in Wizzo's May 15, 2026 story video, on the launch build.
Quick facts
| You | A silent Pioneer, a "Qualified Investigator" (Unknown Worlds, Nov 3, 2026) |
| Playable characters added | Jegna and Grace, with two new color schemes, in 1.2, Aug 19, 2026 |
| The AI | NOA, the Noetic Advisor, at NOA Terminals |
| Colonists heard | Anita, Chap, Wander, Ruby, Quaker, Sophie, Nahema, Wu, Singh, Zip, Tuba |
| Audio drama cast | Seven actors in Voices from Beyond (Unknown Worlds, Mar 26, 2026) |
| Writers | Narrative designers Seth Dickinson and Tim Partlett (Unknown Worlds, Oct 22, 2026) |
Your Pioneer: Jegna, Grace and the others
You choose a Pioneer on the "Pioneer Selection" screen. Update 1.2 added "Jegna and Grace character options in Character Customization, as well as two new color schemes for characters"; Buddy System Hotfix 1 then fixed their names not being translated (Unknown Worlds, Aug 19, 2026; Sep 1, 2026). Unknown Worlds has not published backstories for them, as of Nov 4, 2026. Because everyone on the mission is printed (a mind uploaded into a 3D-printed body), you can change body type, gender and race at any time (Kotaku, May 14, 2026). In co-op, each player picks their own (Co-op and Multiplayer). Your character never speaks. In the clip, Creative Director Anthony Gallegos introduces Grace and Jegna and the two new suit colors in the 1.2 update vlog.
NOA, the Noetic Advisor
NOA is the colony ship's AI. You talk to it only at NOA Terminals, one in the Lifepod and others you can build in a base; it cannot speak to you in the field (GamingBolt; Wccftech, May 14, 2026). It sends waypoints, points you to blackboxes and insists the mission continue. Unknown Worlds' patch notes write the name NOA; some guides write NoA, and Wccftech wrote "Noah". Update 1.2 "Reduced frequency of NOA alerts" (Unknown Worlds).
SPOILERS: reviewers do not trust it. Kotaku found NOA "suspicious" (Kotaku), and GamingBolt wrote that NOA "appears to be up to no good", while a second AI companion seems trustworthy (GamingBolt). Kotaku describes that second voice as female-coded, snippy and sarcastic. One colonist bunker is named "Unauthorized NOA Modification" (Game Rant, May 23, 2026). Wizzo's May 15, 2026 story video calls NOA "another major threat": a system whose goal is mission success and which decides who is reprinted, who is reset and who is marked do not print. What NOA really wants is not revealed in Early Access, as of Nov 4, 2026.
The colonists (SPOILERS)
"Colonists" is Unknown Worlds' word for the humans who reached this world before you (Unknown Worlds, Oct 22, 2026). You never meet one alive in Early Access. You hear them in blackboxes, which NOA marks as signals, and read them in logs. The names below come from Unknown Worlds' patch notes and from guides on the launch build. The clip, from exe.plained's May 25, 2026 story video, plays Tuba's recording: trapped by a Marrowbreach with no flares, she says she is leaving Ganzo's group to find the Jubilee.
| Colonist | Where you hear them |
|---|---|
| Anita | The first blackbox, by the Digestion Angel Comb northeast of the Lifepod; Anita's Garden bunker (Destructoid, May 17, 2026) |
| Chap | A bunker about 250 m southeast, reached by a tunnel (MeinMMO, May 27, 2026) |
| Wander | A signal in Bloom-infected ground, by the Sonic Resonator (PCGamesN, May 14, 2026) |
| Ruby | Ruby's remains lead NOA to Wander's signal (PCGamesN); a later "Blackbox - Ruby 2" lies south of the Alien Ruins (Game Rant, May 16, 2026) |
| Tuba | At Camp One, leading to Quaker's transmission and the Old Habitat (All Things How, May 15, 2026) |
| Quaker | A blackbox in the Old Habitat's northeast wing, about 350 m north of the Lifepod (All Things How); Quaker's Meetinghouse |
| Zip | A blackbox about 200 m southwest of the Tadpole Pens and 250 m deep, which gives the Pens' keycode (Beebom, May 15, 2026) |
| Sophie | Sophie Boucher, whom Beebom has you speak with at the Tadpole Pens' NOA Terminal (Beebom); Sophie's Retreat; "Sophie's Riot In Progress" and "SOPHIE: In pursuit of Nahema" |
| Nahema | Nahema's Lab, in the hot zone |
| Wu | Several blackboxes; "Wu - I've cracked it" |
| Singh | "Singh (Impaled)" blackboxes and the "Singh 'Axum' logs" |
The log titles are from the 1.1 and 1.2 notes (Unknown Worlds, Aug 19, 2026); the bunkers from Game Rant's Biobed guide (May 23, 2026). The logs speak of Masefield Syndrome, delusions that GamingBolt says come from the poisonous water and make sufferers hear the voices of the dead (GamingBolt). In exe.plained's May 25, 2026 story video, on the launch build, a welcome message recorded by colony surgeon Sophie and colony ecologist Nahema tells reprinted colonists that the seawater's "sweet blood taste" is "a toxic dose of heavy metals" and that nobody survived past three months. Other recurring voices include the "Call of the Sea whispers" and log titles such as "Do not go out alone" and "Help Kids". More about the colonists is promised for Early Access 2: the Oct 22, 2026 vlog previews "what's next for the Colonists' story" (Unknown Worlds).
The family of Voices from Beyond
Unknown Worlds' five-episode audio drama follows a young family on a Mongolian settlement before the Cicada sails: Griffin Puatu (Dad, a Mongolian politician), Hester Lee (Mom, an Alterra engineer), Jessika Van (the daughter, a singer) and Nell Barnes (the baby and young daughter), with Dan Gordon as podcast host Ryley Robinson, the first Subnautica's hero, Emily O'Brien as Admiral Rathine Studaber and radio voices, and Townsend Coleman as a radio host and Alterra advertiser (Unknown Worlds, Mar 26, 2026). Whether the family appears in the game is not stated. See Voices from Beyond.
Frequently asked questions
Who are Jegna and Grace in Subnautica 2? Two playable Pioneer characters added to Subnautica 2's Character Customization in update 1.2 Buddy System (Aug 19, 2026), with two new color schemes; Unknown Worlds has not published backstories for them.
Who is NOA in Subnautica 2? NOA, the Noetic Advisor, is the Cicada's AI, which speaks to you at NOA Terminals and insists the mission continue; reviewers found it suspicious.
Does the player talk in Subnautica 2? No. Your Pioneer in Subnautica 2 is silent; NOA and the colonists' recordings do the talking.
Who are the colonists in Subnautica 2? The humans who reached Subnautica 2's world before you and vanished; you hear them, such as Anita, Chap, Wander and Quaker, in blackbox recordings.
Can you change your character in Subnautica 2? Yes. Everyone in Subnautica 2 is a printed body, so you can change body type, gender and race at any time.
Sources
- Subnautica 2 | Update Vlog: Early Access 1.2 - Buddy System, Subnautica, Aug 18, 2026 (video)
- The ENTIRE Story Of The Colonists In Subnautica 2 (So Far), exe.plained, May 25, 2026 (video)
- The Subnautica 2 Story So Far - Story Explained, Wizzo, May 15, 2026 (video)
- From Creatures to Chassis - Voyage to Early Access 2, Unknown Worlds, Nov 3, 2026
- Beyond the Surface - Voyage to Early Access 2, Unknown Worlds, Oct 22, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access Buddy System Hotfix 1, Unknown Worlds, Sep 1, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access 1.2 - Buddy System Update, Unknown Worlds, Aug 19, 2026
- Subnautica 2 'Voices from Beyond' Episode 5 Released!, Unknown Worlds, Mar 26, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Early Access Review - Waterworld, GamingBolt (Ravi Sinha), May 18, 2026
- 12 Hours With Subnautica 2, Kotaku (John Walker), May 14, 2026
- Subnautica 2: Everything We Learned from Unknown Worlds, Wccftech (Alessio Palumbo), May 14, 2026
- Subnautica 2: Story Guide, MeinMMO (Alexander Mehrwald), May 27, 2026
- Subnautica 2: All 7 Biobed Inventory Expansion Locations, Game Rant (Christopher Norman Worcester), May 23, 2026
- All Angel Comb and modification locations in Subnautica 2, Destructoid (Arka Sarkar), May 17, 2026
- How to get past Bloom in Subnautica 2, PCGamesN (Christian Vaz), May 14, 2026
- How to Go Deeper with the Tadpole, Game Rant (Nahda Nabiilah), May 16, 2026
- Subnautica 2 Old Habitat walkthrough: Quaker blackbox route, All Things How (Pallav Pathak), May 15, 2026
- How to Investigate Tadpole Pens in Subnautica 2 and Get Keycode, Beebom (Sanmay Chakrabarti), May 15, 2026
Moments
The Subnautica 2 Story So Far - Story Explained
Wizzo
Subnautica 2 | Update Vlog: Early Access 1.2 - Buddy System
Subnautica
The ENTIRE Story Of The Colonists In Subnautica 2 (So Far)
exe.plained
- NOA is the colony ship's AI. You talk to it only at NOA Terminals, one in the Lifepod and others you can build in a…
- "Colonists" is Unknown Worlds' word for the humans who reached this world before you (Unknown Worlds, Oct 22, 2026)…
- The log titles are from the 1.1 and 1.2 notes (Unknown Worlds, Aug 19, 2026); the bunkers from Game Rant's Biobed…
Related
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Base PowerSubnautica 2 bases run on Solar Panels (1 to 8 energy per second by time of day), Hydroelectric Turbines in water currents, Thermal Plants by heat vents and Bioreactors burning fuel, linked by Power Transmitters and buffered by Power Storage. Without power a base makes no oxygen.
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Best Base LocationsThe guides' best base spots in Subnautica 2 are a plateau by a water current about 200 m east of the Lifepod for free turbine power, the thermal vents about 630 m east for steady Thermal Plant power, and an outpost near the Alien Ruins about 1,150 m east for the late game.
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FarmingFarming in Subnautica 2 means Growbeds, built for Titanium x1, that grow plants from a seed item such as a Pent, Lucifer Rotsac or Fibrous Pulp, and since update 1.2 Necrolei Cysts. The Metal Farm, an Axum machine, grows a chosen resource on base power.
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Anemone HillsThe Anemone Hills are Subnautica 2's biome of towering pink-and-green anemones about 300 m northwest of the Lifepod, 0 to 151 m deep, where the infected Heat Tolerance Angel Comb waits behind Bloom you clear with the Sonic Resonator.
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Coral GardensCoral Gardens and North Coral Gardens are Unknown Worlds' names for Subnautica 2's early coral areas around the Lifepod; update 1.1 (Jul 8, 2026) put a second Biolab and more Silver there, and 1.2 gave North Coral Gardens its own music.
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Dolerite SpiresThe Dolerite Spires are a maze of jagged volcanic pillars in Subnautica 2's starting region, shallow to mid depth, with Lithium and Titanium, Quaker's Meetinghouse and two Spires wrecks that All Things How lists for the High Capacity Air Tank and the Rebreather on the launch build.
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GraveyardThe Graveyard is Subnautica 2's hot, orange-watered biome, 0 to 266 m deep, that needs the Heat Tolerance Adaptation; it holds Gold, Salt, Sulfur and Lithium, the Tadpole Pens, Tailings Village, a Cicada Wreck, Nahema's Lab and hundreds of Water Slugs.
See also
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Story and LoreIn Subnautica 2 you are a Pioneer on Alterra's colony ship Cicada, carrying 40,000 people away from a war-torn home, when something goes wrong and you wake on an alien ocean world where an earlier wave of colonists has vanished. The story is unfinished in Early Access as of Nov 4, 2026; its next chapter comes with Early Access 2 in December 2026.
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Voices from BeyondVoices from Beyond is Subnautica 2's five-episode audio drama, released by Unknown Worlds from Nov 25, 2025 to Mar 26, 2026, about a young family in a Mongolian settlement as a threat closes in, ending with a distress call from the Cicada.
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Co-op and MultiplayerSubnautica 2 can be played solo or in online co-op for up to four players (a host and three friends), with cross-play between Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox through friend codes. The world lives in the host's save, and there are no dedicated servers.
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Early Access 2Early Access 2 is Subnautica 2's next big content update, due in December 2026 with no day announced. Unknown Worlds promises a new region with several biomes, more of the colonists' and Axum story, new and returning creatures, a scarier Collector Leviathan, new Biomods and the Frog chassis for the Tadpole.
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The AxumThe Axum are the alien civilization of Subnautica 2, known only by what they left: ruins, an Observatory tower, a Power Plant, Metal Farms, Gateway Spires and the Rosetta Stone that makes their logograms readable once you gain the Axum Vision Adaptation. Early Access 2 in December 2026 expands their history.
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The BloomThe Bloom is Subnautica 2's infection: biofilm, sap, cankers and parasites that block caves, infect creatures and Angel Combs, and cannot be cleared by hand. You get past it with the Sonic Resonator, and the armored pink cankers need the Feedback Resonator; some places and guides call it the Blight.