Game Modes

Subnautica 2 has two game modes, Survival and Creative, chosen when a save is made; Creative removes oxygen, food, water and power limits and unlocks every blueprint, Adaptation and (since update 1.1) Biomod, and there are no difficulty settings as of Nov 4, 2026.

0:48 Subnautica 2 has two game modes in Early Access, Survival and Creative, and the mode is picked when a save is created, so switching means starting a new game. Survival is the default and, in Game Rant's words, "the intended way to play": oxygen, food and water run down, blueprints must be found and scanned, and creatures react. Creative removes those limits: infinite oxygen, food, water and power, every blueprint and Adaptation unlocked, crafting without materials, vehicles that cannot be damaged and creatures that ignore the player. Since update 1.1 (Jul 8, 2026) Creative also unlocks every Biomod. Neither mode has weapons, and as of Nov 4, 2026 no difficulty settings, Hardcore or Freedom mode appear in the game's patch notes or in Game Rant's comparison. Both modes work solo or in co-op for up to four. In MistaWigglez's May 18, 2026 co-op guide, on the launch build, the mode screen for a new hosted game lists Survival, Creative and a third, dimmed choice he calls "the new mode that's coming soon"; Unknown Worlds has not named or announced it as of Nov 4, 2026.

Quick facts

Modes	Survival and Creative (Game Rant, May 21, 2026), as of Nov 4, 2026
Chosen	When a save is created; shown as the save's "Save Game Mode" (1.1 notes)
Default	Survival
Difficulty settings	None listed (as of Nov 4, 2026)
Hardcore or permadeath	Not in the game (as of Nov 4, 2026)
Weapons	None in either mode, by design (May 20, 2026 letter)
Players	Solo or up to 4 in co-op in either mode

Survival vs Creative

	Survival	Creative
Oxygen, food, water	Limited	Infinite
Base power	Limited, needs generators	Infinite, even with no power source
Powered tools	Use battery charge	Never run out
Blueprints and base modules	Found by scanning fragments	All unlocked
Adaptations	Earned through progression at Angel Combs	Unlocked from the start
Biomods	Unlocked at Biolabs and by scanning	All unlocked (since 1.1)
Crafting	Needs raw materials	Needs only the right station
Vehicles	Limited power and durability, can be damaged	Full power, cannot be damaged
Creatures	Aggressive ones attack, skittish ones flee	None react, leviathans included
Death	Possible; respawn at a Biobed	The character effectively cannot die

Source for the table: Game Rant (Hamza Haq), May 21, 2026, on the launch build, plus the 1.1 Biomod change; the Survival death row is from Game Rant (Chris Jecks), May 14, 2026.

Survival mode

Survival is the full game: the oxygen, food and water meters, finding Resources, scanning for blueprints, earning Adaptations and Biomods, powering bases, and surviving Dangerous Creatures with deterrents rather than weapons. Dying sends the player back to their Biobed and leaves their items in a container where they died; see Death and Respawning. Since update 1.2 co-op partners can revive a downed player first. New players should start here with the Beginner's Guide.

Creative mode

Creative is a sandbox for Base Building and exploring without pressure. Every blueprint and base module is available at once, crafting asks for no materials, bases need no Base Power, and the Tadpole cannot be damaged. Since 1.1 every Biomod is unlocked by default. Update 1.2 fixed two Creative bugs: Pressure Tolerance not showing in the Databank, and Battery and Power Cell Terminals charging and draining "in Creative Mode (where power is not required)". Because no creature reacts, leviathans can be watched up close in safety.

Can you change game mode in Subnautica 2?

0:11 Not on an existing save as of Nov 4, 2026. The mode is set when the save is made and labeled on the save slot, so playing the other mode means a new save. A solo save can be turned into a co-op one and back with "Convert to Multiplayer", per PCGamesN's multiplayer guide, and the host picks the mode when hosting a new multiplayer game.

Is there a difficulty setting?

No difficulty slider, preset or Hardcore mode appears in any patch note (the launch build's dimmed third mode, above, is unnamed) through Buddy System Hotfix 2 (Oct 6, 2026) or in Game Rant's comparison. Instead Unknown Worlds has tuned difficulty for everyone through patches: Hotfix 3 made Nibblers slower to attack and Marrowbreaches attack less often, 1.1 made most creatures flee the Survival Multitool and reel from the Sonic Resonator, and 1.2 lengthened the Sonic Resonator stun to 10 seconds. Developers told Wccftech they deliberately kept hand-holding out, comparing their stance to Elden Ring. Whether Subnautica 2 will add more modes before 1.0 is not announced as of Nov 4, 2026.

Why does Subnautica 2 have no weapons?

No mode has weapons. Unknown Worlds' May 20, 2026 letter said the series is "built around vulnerability, exploration, and survival" rather than weapon-based combat, while promising fairer, more readable creature encounters. Players who want to fight back on PC have the community mod Killable Creatures; see Mods and Launch Hotfixes.

Frequently asked questions

Does Subnautica 2 have a Creative mode? Yes. Subnautica 2 has Creative mode alongside Survival; it unlocks every blueprint, Adaptation and, since update 1.1, every Biomod, with unlimited oxygen, food, water and power.

Can you switch from Survival to Creative in Subnautica 2? No. In Subnautica 2 the mode is set when a save is created, so changing mode means starting a new save.

Does Subnautica 2 have difficulty settings? No. As of Nov 4, 2026 Subnautica 2 has only Survival and Creative, with no difficulty slider, Hardcore or Freedom mode.

Can you die in Subnautica 2 Creative mode? In practice no. In Subnautica 2's Creative mode the meters never run out and creatures ignore you, so the character effectively cannot die, per Game Rant.

Can you play Creative mode in Subnautica 2 co-op? Yes. A Subnautica 2 host chooses the mode when starting a multiplayer game, and up to four players can share a Creative world.