Subnautica leaves Xbox Game Preview in December

Subnautica has been in development for years now, and many Xbox One owners are frustrated by the fact that it's still a broken experience on Xbox Game Preview. Recently, the developer partnered with Panic Button Games to speed up development of the console port. You might recognize Panic Button from the recent Nintendo Switch versions of Doom and Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus.

According to recent post by the official Subnautica account on Twitter, the game should release on December 4, 2018 on Xbox One. Those who already own the Xbox Game Preview build will automatically receive the 1.0 patch that day. However, it may not launch on December 4 because the developers said that there might be a "last minute catastrophic failure." You can read excepts from the post below.

The wait is almost over. Subnautica is coming to Xbox One on December 4, 2018. You will be able to buy Subnautica digitally or on a physical disk. If you are in Europe, physical disk sales will start three days later on December 7. Many of you have already purchased Subnautica through Xbox Game Preview. On launch day, your Xbox Game Preview copy will automatically become a full release copy – you don't need to buy the game again. To everyone in XboxGame Preview: we extend our most heartfelt thanks. You have waited for months, enduring awful bugs and tanking frame rates. Your feedback has been invaluable in helping us to craft the upcoming 1.0 release. On launch day you will be able to download the 1.0 update, and enjoy a big increase in performance, smashed bugs, and new content. Now, let's talk about dates. Game development is a wild ride. We are very confident we will hit December 4, but there is always a chance of last minute catastrophic failure. If something happens, we will keep you updated. This is Unknown Worlds' first console release. We are traditionally a PC game developer, so we are super nervous and super excited. We are very thankful to Panic Button and Gearbox Publishing for helping us to bring Subnautica to Xbox One. On launch day, we will need your help to get the word out... hope as many people as possible will have the chance to dive into Subnautica's depths. To everyone in Xbox Game Preview: again, thank you.

Hopefully Subnautica will launch on December 4. Given the experience of teams like Panic Button and Gearbox Publishing behind it, there shouldn't be any last-minute delays. However, only time will tell because the game has had a troubled development cycle on console.

Are you interested in Subnautica? Let us know.

See at Microsoft Store

Keep an eye on WindowsCentral.com/Gaming for all the latest in Xbox and Windows 10 gaming, accessories, news, and reviews!

Asher Madan

Asher Madan handles gaming news for Windows Central. Before joining Windows Central in 2017, Asher worked for a number of different gaming outlets. He has a background in medical science and is passionate about all forms of entertainment, cooking, and antiquing.