Subnautica 2: Co-op Hosting (2025/2026)
Unlike the previous entries in the series, **Subnautica 2** was built from the ground up to support official multiplayer. With the 2025 Early Access release, dedicated server binaries are now available for communities who want a persistent deep-sea environment. This guide covers the initial deployment on high-performance nodes.
🌊 Native Multi-Player Meta
- Official Support: No more community mods required for co-op. The server binary is a standalone executable.
- Persistent World: The world stays active even when no players are online (optional), allowing for automated resource harvesting.
- Sync Engine: Uses the new "Nexus Core" for high-frequency synchronization of creature AI and base states.
1. Deployment via SteamCMD
The Subnautica 2 Dedicated Server is available under a separate AppID from the main game. Use SteamCMD to pull the latest 2026 stable branch.
📥 AppID Details
AppID: 2327760 (Beta/EA Branch)
Installation Command:
steamcmd +login anonymous +app_update 2327760 +quit
📡 Network Requirements
Ensure you have opened the following ports in your firewall:
UDP 27015: Game Traffic
UDP 27016: Nexus Sync
TCP 27020: RCON/Admin
2. Configuration: Internal_Server.cfg
Most of your server logic is handled in the Subnautica2_Data/Config/Internal_Server.cfg file. In 2026, we recommend these "High-Stability" settings:
# Internal_Server.cfg Snippet
ServerName="Supercraft Deep-Sea Community"
MaxPlayers=4
ServerPassword="YourSecretPassword"
PersistentWorld=True
NexusSyncFrequency=60
AutosaveInterval=15
PhysicsTetherRadius=150
Understanding 'PhysicsTetherRadius'
This setting controls how far from a player the server will calculate active physics (e.g., creature movement, falling debris). A value of 150 is the sweet spot for 2026 hardware, balancing immersion with server CPU usage.
3. Managing Player Data
Subnautica 2 uses a Level-Linked Character system. While inventory is stored in the world save, player progress (unlocked blueprints) is tied to the Server ID. If you change your server's UUID, players will need to re-scan their technology trees.
Hardware Performance (2026)
- CPU Speed: Subnautica 2's aquatic physics are highly complex. A minimum base clock of 4.0GHz is required to prevent "Stuttering Leviathans."
- Storage: World saves are fragmented into "Voxel Chunks." An NVMe drive is mandatory to prevent lag when players enter new biomes.
Can I host more than 4 players?
The current 2026 EA build is optimized for 4 players. While you *can* increase the limit to 8 in the config, you will encounter severe synchronization issues in high-density biomes.
Is the world infinite?
No, but the map is significantly larger than *Below Zero*. The dedicated server supports the full "World-Loop" mapping technology introduced in late 2025.
Does it support crossplay?
As of January 2026, crossplay is supported between Steam and Epic Games Store versions. Console dedicated server joining is expected later in the year.
Next Steps
- Optimizing the Nexus Core for High Latency
- Advanced Internal_Server.cfg Reference
- Back to Subnautica 2 Wiki Home
Deep-Sea Ready Hosting: Supercraft’s Subnautica 2 nodes feature **Abyssal-Tier** SSDs, ensuring zero-lag world-chunk loading. We update our native binaries within minutes of any official Early Access patch.