Peaceful/Custom Mode — Making the Game Accessible for All Players

Hey everyone,

I’ve been loving Subnautica 2 so far, but I’d love to see a game mode that combines full survival mechanics (oxygen, hunger, thirst, etc.) and story progression, with passive, non-aggressive creatures.

Basically the opposite of the actual Freedom mode: the ocean still challenges you through resource management and exploration, but the fauna behaves peacefully: you can observe them, scan them, and coexist with them without being hunted. This already has a precedent in the series: Below Zero’s Custom Mode allowed players to fine-tune almost every aspect of their experience. A similar system in Subnautica 2 could make this possible.

Why? Because a lot of players are terrified of the ocean as it is, myself included, whether they have thalassophobia or not. So why do I play a game set entirely underwater? Because I find it fascinating, I enjoy it deeply, and I want to experience the story. Freedom mode can be a partial solution, but it feels too much like a ∗∗∗ mode: it’s designed for creative purposes and loses its appeal when you actually want to explore, feel challenged, and follow the story as it’s meant to be experienced. I fought my fear as hard as I could, until I reached the Leviathan. At that point, I was simply paralyzed and couldn’t continue. And honestly, even in Freedom mode I’m still terrified, so a peaceful mode wouldn’t make the game trivial for players like me, it would just make it playable. Right now, it simply isn’t. We’d still be scared, just not to the point where we can’t go on.

For many players, the survival loop and the wonder of exploring an alien ocean is the game. Hostile creatures add tension, but they can also be a barrier for people who want a more relaxed, naturalist-style experience, or for those whose fear, whether a full phobia or not, is simply too much to push through.

It’s worth noting that this kind of mode wouldn’t affect other players at all. It’s exactly like other games that have arachnophobia modes, hemophobia modes, motion sickness options, reptile filters, etc. Those who want fear and difficulty would be completely unaffected, and a robust custom mode could even allow players to increase the difficulty if they wish.

I’d love to know if others feel the same way, and I genuinely hope Unknown Worlds considers this for a future update.

Either way: incredible game. I’m really happy about the early access release and can’t wait to see what comes next.

Thank you!