{"id":1910993,"date":"2026-04-30T15:16:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T12:16:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1910993"},"modified":"2026-04-30T15:16:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T12:16:46","slug":"despite-kraftons-ai-first-ambitions-absolutely-no-generative-ai-has-been-involved-in-subnautica-2-its-not-something-were-using-at-all","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1910993","title":{"rendered":"Despite Krafton&#8217;s &#8220;AI-first&#8221; ambitions, absolutely no generative AI has been involved in Subnautica 2: &#8220;It&#8217;s not something we&#8217;re using at all&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/subnautica-2\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Subnautica 2<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Despite Krafton&#8217;s &#8220;AI-first&#8221; ambitions, absolutely no generative AI has been involved in Subnautica 2: &#8220;It&#8217;s not something we&#8217;re using at all&#8221;<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Wetwork.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/subnautica-ai.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Subnautica 2 custom header, with player character in front of an computer motherboard background.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"subnautica-ai.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Eurogamer<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/connor-makar\">Connor Makar<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Staff Writer<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-04-30T15:16:46+00:00\">April 30, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"9b751be1-bde5-4ecd-8081-2abe2cce45b9\" data-name=\"Subnautica 2\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Subnautica 2\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Subnautica 2\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Subnautica 2\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Subnautica 2\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Subnautica 2\" title=\"Follow Subnautica 2\"><br \/>\n  Follow Subnautica 2<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>No generative AI has been used to create oceanic survival game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/subnautica-2\">Subnautica 2<\/a>, despite publisher Krafton&#8217;s publicly stated &#8220;AI-first company&#8221; ambitions.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Eurogamer, Subnautica 2 creative media producer Scott MacDonald and design lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed that no generative AI has been used to create any aspect of Subnautica 2.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Subnautica 2 Early Access Cinematic Trailer\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8EZhCzFaQuw?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/8EZhCzFaQuw\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Subnautica 2 Early Access Cinematic Trailer<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s the Subnautica 2 Early Access release date trailer.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8EZhCzFaQuw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;No, we&#8217;re not using generative AI in Subnautica 2 at all,&#8221; MacDonald said. &#8220;It&#8217;s all traditional person-done. When we mention AI, it&#8217;s all traditional: a programmer has physically gone in and done it themselves, like [the] creature AI. We&#8217;re using Unity Blackboard and things like that. It&#8217;s basically all hand-done. It&#8217;s interesting technology, but it&#8217;s not something we&#8217;re using at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This is a point of interest for Subnautica 2 and its developer Unknown Worlds, as the game&#8217;s publisher Krafton announced last October <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pubg-and-inzoi-publisher-krafton-declares-itself-an-ai-first-company-placing-ai-at-the-centre-of-problem-solving#:~:text=PUBG%20and%20Subnautica%202%20publisher,a%20%22complete%22%20company%20reorganisation.\">it would transition into an &#8220;AI-first company&#8221;<\/a>, via a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krafton.com\/news\/press\/%ed%81%ac%eb%9e%98%ed%94%84%ed%86%a4-ai-first-%ea%b8%b0%ec%97%85-%ec%a0%84%ed%99%98-%ec%84%a0%ec%96%b8-1000%ec%96%b5-%ec%9b%90-%ec%9d%b4%ec%83%81-%ed%88%ac%ec%9e%90\/\">Korean language statement<\/a> released to the company website. Within this statement, a new strategy was outlined which would &#8220;prioritise AI as a central and primary means of problem-solving&#8221;, &#8220;fostering change in individuals and organisations, increasing company-wide productivity, and accelerating mid- to long-term corporate value growth&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>So if Subnautica 2 doesn&#8217;t use generative AI, how far-reaching is this AI-first approach? According to MacDonald, while there was no mandate in place forcing the use of these tools, they were made available to the Unknown Worlds team.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Krafton has basically said \u2018here are all the tools. If you want to use them, you can\u2019,&#8221; MacDonald explained. &#8220;There&#8217;s no mandate to use them or anything. We are free to say yes, or no, or whatever. We decided on this particular project that it doesn&#8217;t suit us, it doesn&#8217;t suit our pipeline, or what we want to do. But it&#8217;s there if people ever want to use it, we just aren&#8217;t using it at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gallegos elaborated on why he believed no mandate has been established for the Subnautica 2 team: &#8220;I think [Krafton] is smart enough to know that if we had to use those tools it could be disruptive to our process at this point. So a mandate would be harmful to the development of the game.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"2\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Subnautica 2 isn&#8217;t the only Krafton release that has not fully embraced generative AI: for Project Windless, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/sony-state-of-play-february-2026-everything-announced\">was announced during February&#8217;s Sony State of Play<\/a>, Krafton revealed the game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/worried-about-project-windless-and-generative-ai-dont-fret-krafton-says-the-game-is-not-using-generative-ai-for-content-creation-or-narrative-elements\">has not used the technology for &#8220;narrative or connect creation elements&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>No generative AI has been used to create oceanic survival game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/subnautica-2\">Subnautica 2<\/a>, despite publisher Krafton&#8217;s publicly stated &#8220;AI-first company&#8221; ambitions.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking to Eurogamer, Subnautica 2 creative media producer Scott MacDonald and design lead Anthony Gallegos confirmed that no generative AI has been used to create any aspect of Subnautica 2.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Subnautica 2 Early Access Cinematic Trailer\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/8EZhCzFaQuw?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/8EZhCzFaQuw\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Subnautica 2 Early Access Cinematic Trailer<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s the Subnautica 2 Early Access release date trailer.<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8EZhCzFaQuw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;No, we&#8217;re not using generative AI in Subnautica 2 at all,&#8221; MacDonald said. &#8220;It&#8217;s all traditional person-done. When we mention AI, it&#8217;s all traditional: a programmer has physically gone in and done it themselves, like [the] creature AI. We&#8217;re using Unity Blackboard and things like that. It&#8217;s basically all hand-done. It&#8217;s interesting technology, but it&#8217;s not something we&#8217;re using at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This is a point of interest for Subnautica 2 and its developer Unknown Worlds, as the game&#8217;s publisher Krafton announced last October <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/pubg-and-inzoi-publisher-krafton-declares-itself-an-ai-first-company-placing-ai-at-the-centre-of-problem-solving#:~:text=PUBG%20and%20Subnautica%202%20publisher,a%20%22complete%22%20company%20reorganisation.\">it would transition into an &#8220;AI-first company&#8221;<\/a>, via a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.krafton.com\/news\/press\/%ed%81%ac%eb%9e%98%ed%94%84%ed%86%a4-ai-first-%ea%b8%b0%ec%97%85-%ec%a0%84%ed%99%98-%ec%84%a0%ec%96%b8-1000%ec%96%b5-%ec%9b%90-%ec%9d%b4%ec%83%81-%ed%88%ac%ec%9e%90\/\">Korean language statement<\/a> released to the company website. Within this statement, a new strategy was outlined which would &#8220;prioritise AI as a central and primary means of problem-solving&#8221;, &#8220;fostering change in individuals and organisations, increasing company-wide productivity, and accelerating mid- to long-term corporate value growth&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>So if Subnautica 2 doesn&#8217;t use generative AI, how far-reaching is this AI-first approach? According to MacDonald, while there was no mandate in place forcing the use of these tools, they were made available to the Unknown Worlds team.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Krafton has basically said \u2018here are all the tools. If you want to use them, you can\u2019,&#8221; MacDonald explained. &#8220;There&#8217;s no mandate to use them or anything. We are free to say yes, or no, or whatever. We decided on this particular project that it doesn&#8217;t suit us, it doesn&#8217;t suit our pipeline, or what we want to do. But it&#8217;s there if people ever want to use it, we just aren&#8217;t using it at all.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Gallegos elaborated on why he believed no mandate has been established for the Subnautica 2 team: &#8220;I think [Krafton] is smart enough to know that if we had to use those tools it could be disruptive to our process at this point. So a mandate would be harmful to the development of the game.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"2\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Subnautica 2 isn&#8217;t the only Krafton release that has not fully embraced generative AI: for Project Windless, which <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/sony-state-of-play-february-2026-everything-announced\">was announced during February&#8217;s Sony State of Play<\/a>, Krafton revealed the game <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/worried-about-project-windless-and-generative-ai-dont-fret-krafton-says-the-game-is-not-using-generative-ai-for-content-creation-or-narrative-elements\">has not used the technology for &#8220;narrative or connect creation elements&#8221;<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Subnautica 2 Despite Krafton&#8217;s &#8220;AI-first&#8221; ambitions, absolutely no generative AI has been involved in Subnautica 2: &#8220;It&#8217;s not something we&#8217;re using at all&#8221; Wetwork. Image credit: Eurogamer News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on April 30, 2026 Follow Subnautica 2 No generative AI has been used to create oceanic survival game Subnautica [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1910993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1910993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1910993"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1910993\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1910993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1910993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1910993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}