Subnautica 2 update lets players fight fish — but still not kill them

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Subnautica 2 's developers have detailed the Early Access 1.1 update, and while you still can't kill the fish, you'll be able to have a scrap with them.

Outside of that big old legal drama , the biggest drama out of Subnautica 2 since its launch has been the fish-killing saga. The game is filled with terrifying underwater beasts, so naturally, some players really want to start blasting.

These requests inspired a response from the devs, with one saying, "We aren't a killing game. Go play Sons of the Forest or something if you want to kill." This comment naturally inspired a bit of ire from the community, but some were a little more proactive, with one of the first mods for the game being a mod that lets you kill the fish .

And while "creature mitigation" was promised, the devs stuck by their no-killing rule , and thanks to the Subnautica 2 Update Vlog for Early Access 1.1 (titled Adaptive Measures), we now know what that entails.

First off, the devs have "done some work around creature flinches," Subnautica 2 Creative Director Anthony Gallegos explains, "so if you smack them with the Survival Multi-Tool, you'll get that reaction out of them before they flee to really let you see and understand the impact you're having on them."

And while you won't be getting a proper gun, the Sonic Resonator is now a stun gun. As Gallegos explains, "we've done some work on the Sonic Resonator, where a bunch of the creatures now have stun states, so when you hit them with the Sonic Resonator, you'll see them clearly communicate that they've become stunned." He adds, "That's all in an effort to make you feel like you're having the mitigation of creatures that we want you to feel, which has also been a major part of your feedback."

I'm simultaneously happy to see the devs take what is the biggest piece of feedback on board, while also sticking to their own vision. Compromises like this will hopefully get Subnautica 2 to a place where it'll stand alongside the legendary first entry.

Subnautica 2's first major update "brings back one of the most requested player experiences" and will be "the scariest the game has been yet" .