Known Issues and Fixes

Subnautica 2's common problems in Early Access are start-up crashes on AMD and DirectX 12, DLSS crashes, saves that seem to vanish after a crash, mods breaking after an update and Angel Combs that would not open; most were fixed by patches through Buddy System Hotfix 2 (Oct 6, 2026). This page lists each issue, the patch that fixed it and what to do.

0:32 Most of Subnautica 2's well-known problems have been patched as of Buddy System Hotfix 2 (Oct 6, 2026): crashes at start-up on AMD cards and DirectX 12 got clearer guidance in Hotfix 1, DLSS crashes were fixed in Hotfix 3, Angel Combs that would not open in Hotfix 4, and saves that looked deleted after a crash in 1.2. The first fixes for a crash after an update are to turn off mods and update the game; anything else goes to Unknown Worlds through the in-game feedback tool, which since 1.2 can attach a save. Subnautica 2 is in Early Access, so new bugs come with each update (Updates and Patch Notes).

Quick facts

Current build	Buddy System Hotfix 2, Oct 6, 2026 (as of Nov 4, 2026)
Report a bug	In-game feedback tool (F8 on PC), or Unknown Worlds' support site
Suggest a feature	Unknown Worlds' Nolt.io board
Mods	Disable before every update (Unknown Worlds)
Stuck in the world	The Unstuck option (works in a Tadpole since 1.2)
Save files	Since Sep 1, 2026 a save records its build and branch and will not load in an older build

Fixes by problem

Problem	Fixed or improved in	What to do now
Crash at start-up on AMD graphics or DirectX 12	Hotfix 1, May 19, 2026 (clearer pop-up and guidance)	Follow the pop-up; update graphics drivers; check System Requirements
DLSS crashing the game, DLSS settings not saved, Frame Generation missing	Hotfix 3, Jun 1, 2026	Update; DLSS is 4.5 since then
Infinite oxygen after dying of hunger or thirst in a Tadpole; random teleports to base; crash on losing a multiplayer connection	Hotfix 2, May 22, 2026	Update
Crash loading a save from an earlier version; Nvidia laptops capped at 60 fps; Metal Farms slowing down over time	1.1, Jul 8, 2026	Update
Angel Combs not opening, blocking progression	Hotfix 4, Jul 14, 2026	Update, then return to the Angel Comb (Adaptations)
Water currents in bases; FOV slider missing on Xbox; Xbox crash joining an invite	Hotfix 4, Jul 14, 2026	Update (Xbox gets hotfixes after certification)
Crashes making a save look deleted	1.2, Aug 19, 2026	Update; see the next section
Solar Panels stopping after 45 to 60 minutes with several bases	1.2, Aug 19, 2026	Update (Base Power)
Tadpole stuck in its dock; camera stuck after three blocked undocks	1.2, Aug 19, 2026	Update; the dock now refuses a Tadpole without room (Tadpole)
Stuck in the first Biobed after losing connection during the opening	1.2, Aug 19, 2026	Update
Half-built Axum Powerplant Turbines vanishing	Buddy System Hotfix 1, amended Sep 3, 2026	The turbine ghost returns and can be finished at no cost
Softlock on the character select screen; save bloat	Buddy System Hotfix 1, Sep 1, 2026	Update
Tadpole teleported wrongly when coming back from out of bounds; docking in some orientations	Buddy System Hotfix 2, Oct 6, 2026	Update (Map Edge and World Tree)
Thermal and Hydroelectric power wrong after leaving and returning to an area	Buddy System Hotfix 2, Oct 6, 2026	Update
Xbox memory leak while paused	Buddy System Hotfix 2, Oct 6, 2026	Update
Scanner Station not finding resources accurately	Buddy System Hotfix 2, Oct 6, 2026	Update (Resources)

My Subnautica 2 save was deleted

Usually it was not. Before 1.2 a crash could "create the appearance of a save file being deleted"; the Buddy System update (Aug 19, 2026) fixed that (Unknown Worlds). Two other causes are worth checking. A save made on the Steam Experimental Branch is kept apart and does not work on the main branch (Unknown Worlds, Aug 12, 2026). And since Buddy System Hotfix 1 (Sep 1, 2026) every save records its build number and branch, so a save from a newer build will not load in an older one; that hotfix also added clearer logging for "Platform write failed for save slot" errors (Unknown Worlds). In co-op the world lives in the host's save (Co-op and Multiplayer). If a save is truly gone, report it with the feedback tool and attach the save if one remains.

The game crashes after an update: mods

Subnautica 2 has no official mod support, but many players use community mods. Every hotfix since Hotfix 4 carries the same reminder: disable, remove or uninstall mods before launching the updated game, because "Community mods will not be updated" for each hotfix and "may cause crashes or other unexpected behavior on launch"; reinstall them once their makers update them (Unknown Worlds, Oct 6, 2026). See Mods.

Subnautica 2 will not launch

17:01 For a crash on start-up, Hotfix 1 (May 19, 2026) made the error pop-up for AMD graphics cards and DirectX 12 problems give "more guidance and support"; the game requires DirectX 12 and Windows 10 or 11 (Unknown Worlds; System Requirements). In order: remove mods, update the game and graphics drivers, check the PC against the minimum spec, and verify the game files in your store's launcher. Since Buddy System Hotfix 2, crash-on-launch logging is back on, so reports carry more detail (Unknown Worlds). In Daniel Owen's May 16, 2026 performance test, on the launch build before Hotfix 1, the game would not start on one Radeon card even with the latest drivers, while an Nvidia card in the same PC ran it, and a second Radeon, an RX 9070 XT, later started and ran.

Stuck, softlocked or lost

The game has an Unstuck option for players trapped in terrain. 1.2 fixed it not working in a Tadpole, and fixed softlocks from using it during the Lifepod cutscene or while carrying a Utility (Unknown Worlds). A Tadpole destroyed past the Early Access fence has been moved back inside it since 1.2 (Map Edge and World Tree). Losing items after death is not a bug: carried items stay where you died (Death and Respawning).

How to report a bug

1:32 Unknown Worlds asks players to "keep reporting any bugs or issues via in-game feedback or on our support site" (Unknown Worlds, Oct 6, 2026). On PC the feedback menu opens with F8 (1.1 fixed F8 softlocking the Lifepod cutscene), and since 1.2 a save file can be attached to a report (Unknown Worlds). Ideas and feature requests go to Unknown Worlds' Nolt.io board, where players upvote suggestions (Unknown Worlds, May 15, 2026). Analytics can be turned off in Settings at any time (Unknown Worlds, May 19, 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Why does Subnautica 2 keep crashing? The usual causes in Subnautica 2 are outdated mods after an update, DirectX 12 or AMD driver problems at start-up, and DLSS crashes on builds before Hotfix 3 (Jun 1, 2026); remove mods and update the game and drivers first.

How do I fix Subnautica 2 not launching? Remove any mods, update Subnautica 2 and the graphics drivers, check the PC meets the DirectX 12 minimum spec, follow the start-up error pop-up, and verify the game files.

Did Subnautica 2 delete my save? Probably not: before the 1.2 update (Aug 19, 2026), a crash could make a Subnautica 2 save look deleted, and saves from the Experimental branch or a newer build will not load elsewhere.

Why won't the Angel Comb open in Subnautica 2? Some players could not open Angel Combs, which blocked Subnautica 2's progression; Hotfix 4 fixed it on Jul 14, 2026, so update the game.

How do I report a bug in Subnautica 2? Use Subnautica 2's in-game feedback tool (F8 on PC), which can attach a save since 1.2, or Unknown Worlds' support site.

Do mods break Subnautica 2 updates? Yes. Unknown Worlds asks Subnautica 2 players to disable or remove mods before every update, because mods are not updated for each hotfix and may crash the game.