Scott MacDonald
Reporting and statements that mention Scott MacDonald.
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Don't expect to kill fish in a future Subnautica 2 patch: 'You are here to exist on this planet, not to…
Unknown Worlds developers have stated that players are not intended to kill wildlife in Subnautica 2, emphasizing a theme of coexistence rather than domination. While tools exist to repel creatures, the studio aims to maintain tension and a sense of the player not mastering the world, a lesson learned from player behavior in the original Subnautica.
Subnautica 2's first update will add a sprint button, because players are building their bases too big: "they might want to go a little bit faster"
Subnautica 2's first update will introduce quality-of-life improvements including a sprint mechanic, intended to help players navigate their large bases more quickly. Future updates will add proximity chat, emotes, player revives, and eventually larger expansions with new biomes and creatures. The game recently launched into Steam Early Access.
Buddies and better base building: Previewing Subnautica 2’s newly launched early access
Subnautica 2 has launched into Early Access, emphasizing exploration, base building, and co-op multiplayer for up to four players. Unknown Worlds developers highlighted new mechanics like player adaptation to the environment and a flexible save system for multiplayer sessions. The game is planned for two years of development with ongoing updates to expand its world and story.
"We will probably get some flack": Subnautica 2 may feel polished for an early access game, but it was important for the team it launched unfinished
Unknown Worlds Entertainment has launched Subnautica 2 into early access, aiming for a more complete initial offering than its predecessor, Subnautica. Design lead Anthony Gallegos and producer Scott MacDonald emphasize that early access is integral to their studio's philosophy of building games alongside players, contrasting it with their previous title, Moonbreaker. The developers believe they have found a balance, providing enough content for players to engage with while still allowing for significant changes based on community feedback.
Subnautica 2 roadmap - all planned updates so far
Unknown Worlds has outlined the roadmap for Subnautica 2's early access period, which is expected to last at least two years. The first update will focus on quality-of-life improvements, while the second will introduce co-op features like proximity chat and player emotes. Future updates will expand the game world with new biomes, creatures, and story content.
One country's Subnautica 2 fans "overwhelmingly" wanted to be able to craft weapons, but its devs "feel strongly" about continuing to avoid them
Unknown Worlds developers Anthony Gallegos and Scott MacDonald discussed the decision to maintain a non-violent approach in Subnautica 2, despite some player feedback from one country requesting weapon crafting. The studio emphasizes environmental cohabitation and adapting to the world over conquest, a core tenet stemming from the franchise's origins. While acknowledging the desire for self-defense, the team plans to address this through narrative means rather than direct player weaponry.
Subnautica 2’s early access launch today is the ‘biggest’ in the series ‘with the most amount of content’ yet
Subnautica 2 has launched into early access, described by Unknown Worlds developers as the series' biggest release with the most content to date. The game features a new world, story, creatures, and a submersible, built on a new engine. The initial $29.99 offering includes approximately 14 to 20 hours of gameplay, with plans for future updates to expand biomes, creatures, story chapters, and add features like proximity voice chat and improved co-op play.
Subnautica 2 Early Access Preview – More Of What Fans Love
Subnautica 2 has launched into early access on PC and Xbox Series X, offering a new planet and story separate from previous titles. The game introduces a genetic modification system for player abilities and features modular base building. Future updates will focus on quality-of-life improvements and co-op features, with a four-player limit for multiplayer.
Subnautica 2 is “Bigger and More Polished” Than Any of Unknown Worlds’ Past Early Access Launches
Unknown Worlds is launching Subnautica 2 into Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S, with design lead Anthony Gallegos describing it as "bigger and more polished than anything the studio’s ever done for a first early access release." The studio emphasizes an open development approach, incorporating community feedback to shape the final product. The game has already garnered significant attention with five million wishlists and topping Steam's global sales charts.
Subnautica 2 devs say it's 'bigger and more polished' than any of the studio's previous early access…
Unknown Worlds developers state that Subnautica 2's early access launch is their most polished and largest to date, aiming to incorporate community feedback for future updates. The studio emphasizes a balance between maintaining creative vision and responding to player input, a philosophy that guided the original Subnautica's development.
New Subnautica 2 gameplay teaser has just dropped and if you weren't excited before, you will be now
Unknown Worlds has released a new gameplay teaser for Subnautica 2, showcasing the environments, tools, and crafting players can expect. The game is set to launch into early access on May 14th, with a bonus in-game Reaper statue for first-week purchasers. Developers confirmed that no generative AI was used in the game's development, despite publisher Krafton's AI ambitions.
Subnautica 2 Team Says Krafton is Co-Publishing, “Still Very Much Helping” With the Game’s Launch
Subnautica 2 is set to launch in early access on May 14th for Xbox Series X/S and PC, with Krafton co-publishing the game. Despite some confusion regarding Krafton's publisher status on Steam, Unknown Worlds confirmed they are still actively involved in the game's launch and promotion. The early access version will feature co-op support for up to four players and will be available on day one with Game Pass.
Subnautica 2 dev confirms there's no gen AI "at all" in its survival sequel
Unknown Worlds has confirmed that Subnautica 2 will not use generative AI in its development, despite publisher Krafton's interest in AI-first technology. Creative Media Producer Scott MacDonald stated that the studio chose not to use these tools as they do not suit their pipeline or creative vision. This clarification comes as the game approaches its Early Access launch.
Despite Krafton's "AI-first" ambitions, absolutely no generative AI has been involved in Subnautica 2: "It's not something we're using at all"
Despite publisher Krafton's stated "AI-first" ambitions, developer Unknown Worlds confirmed that no generative AI has been used in the creation of Subnautica 2. Creative media producer Scott MacDonald and design lead Anthony Gallegos clarified that any AI mentioned in the game refers to traditional, programmer-created creature AI, not generative tools. While Krafton made AI tools available, the team opted not to use them for Subnautica 2, believing it would be disruptive to their development process.
"Co-op makes everything significantly more difficult" - How Subnautica 2's addition of multiplayer required ground-up rethinking of the survival classic
Unknown Worlds Entertainment's Anthony Gallegos and Scott MacDonald discuss the challenges and design decisions behind implementing four-player co-op in Subnautica 2. They explain how the addition of multiplayer required a ground-up rethinking of core mechanics to maintain the survival classic's spirit while offering new, shared terrifying experiences and addressing player quality-of-life requests like non-shared inventories.
Subnautica 2's lead game designer says it helped cure his sea terror—only for its new apex ocean predator to give him all-new phobias: 'This is going to make many people sad and scared'
Subnautica 2's lead game designer, Anthony Gallegos, discusses how working on the sequel helped him overcome his fear of the ocean, only for a new apex predator called The Collector to reintroduce phobias. The Collector, a massive squid-like monster, is designed to be a terrifying threat, even in co-op gameplay. Subnautica 2 is set to launch in early access on May 14.
Subnautica 2 devs say it's 'an exploration game first,' expanding on the first game's 'masterclass' in designing player-driven discovery
Developers at Unknown Worlds state that Subnautica 2 prioritizes exploration over its survival mechanics, aiming to recapture the player-driven discovery of the original game. New features like ocean currents and updated graphics with dynamic lighting are intended to create a fresh sense of danger and wonder in the alien underwater world.
