During today's Indie World Showcase, it was just announced by Nintendo that Subnautica as well as its upcoming sequel Subnautica: Below Zero will be coming to the Nintendo Switch in 2021.
The trailer showcases footage from both titles seemingly running natively on the Switch, with quite good results. While the titles do not yet have release dates announced, the games simply have been given the launch window of sometime in 2021.
On the developer's website, Unknownworlds states that the team has "been hard at work behind-the-scenes," working together with both developers Shiny Shoe and Unity Professional Services in order to bring both titles to Nintendo's hybrid console. Unknownworlds continues, stating that the team is very excited for the port to finally release and mention how "difficult as it was to keep a secret and hope that it was worth that wait." In order to keep up-to-date on all future news and updates regarding the Switch port, fans can follow Unknownworlds' social media channels on Twitter and Facebook, as well as signing up for the team's Switch specific newsletter.
First released for Early Access on Microsoft Windows back in 2014, the first Subnautica title has since released for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in 2018 to both commercial and critical success. Subnautica is an underwater exploration survival game that takes place on an alien planet, where the player must traverse an unknown underwater world. Subnautica has been praised by many as one of the best survival titles currently available, and now sits as one of the highest ranked titles on Steam currently. The game is loved by many, and will undoubtedly make a big splash on Nintendo's platform when it arrives sometime next year.
As for the game's sequel, Subnautica: Below Zero released on Steam Early Access back in January 2019, with no set release date for the game's final version on any other platforms. The game has been highly anticipated for quite a while, and it's definitely exciting to see it get formally announced for the Switch alongside the original game. It's unclear whether the sequel will be released day-and-date with the game's other console ports, or at a later date. It also was not made clear whether the two titles will be released at the same time for the Switch, if they will be bundled together, or if they will be receiving physical copies for the platform.
Nintendo announced these titles alongside many other indie titles during today's Indie World Showcase, including a physical version of Untitled Goose Game and more.
Subnautica is available now for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Subnautica: Below Zero is currently available for PC. Both titles will be coming to the Nintendo Switch sometime in 2021.