Tuesday, May 12th 2026
Subnautica 2 Joins Forza Horizon 6 in Pre-Launch Leak—Reviewer May Be To Blame
Just 48 hours before the game's official launch, Subnautica 2 has seemingly leaked, with game repackers sharing their pirated versions of the game across sites like r/PiratedGames on Reddit. This leak follows the leak of Forza Horizon 6, which seemingly leaked via a game reviewer or influencer with pre-launch access to the game. This time, the developer, Unknown Worlds, has yet to comment on the apparent leak of Subnautica 2, but those who have played the leaked version of the game have posted screenshots and clips, which have now been archived in r/GamingLeaksAndRumours. It should also be noted that the original page hosting the leaked game files on GameDrive has already been taken down.
In the Reddit post archiving the game content, the poster claims that the leaker obtained a game code via game reviewers, so it seems as though one or more reviewers have been breaking NDAs in order to leak copies of the game in the open. A similar situation happened ahead of the recent launch of Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem. Following these leaks, there have been concerns that game developers and publishers could stop seeding game codes to reviewers ahead of launch, which would potentially result in less informed gamers who have no clear indication of quality before spending their hard-earned dollars on games. Unlike Forza Horizon 6, Unknown Worlds has already started allowing paying players to preload Subnautica 2 ahead of its May 14 launch.
Sources:
@realityuk on X, r/GamingLeaksAndRumours
In the Reddit post archiving the game content, the poster claims that the leaker obtained a game code via game reviewers, so it seems as though one or more reviewers have been breaking NDAs in order to leak copies of the game in the open. A similar situation happened ahead of the recent launch of Capcom's Resident Evil Requiem. Following these leaks, there have been concerns that game developers and publishers could stop seeding game codes to reviewers ahead of launch, which would potentially result in less informed gamers who have no clear indication of quality before spending their hard-earned dollars on games. Unlike Forza Horizon 6, Unknown Worlds has already started allowing paying players to preload Subnautica 2 ahead of its May 14 launch.
13 Comments on Subnautica 2 Joins Forza Horizon 6 in Pre-Launch Leak—Reviewer May Be To Blame
I just ordered it like an hour ago, not that I'm in a rush to dive into it just yet, but there is an additional bundle discount for owners of the first two games and I thought what they asked for was reasonable
There is no need to do this anymore.
The 10/10 scores from these reviewers means nothing, sometimes even backfire.
And it opens a window for hackers to pirate the game in advance.
NEVER preorder, NEVER download in advance, just to be a beta tester and a sucker, like I was for Diablo 4, my worst investment EVER.
I'm somewhat surprised the code or associated serial number or whatever isn't embedded into the the game at time of redemption. Should be trivial enough to implement if not already there. A smackdown of one or two reviewers for breaking NDA would likely be enough to prevent future leaks. What game studio would ever trust that reviewer again? The reputational damage wouldn't be worth the risk.
people who want to buy a game will buy it, the others that dont, will pirate it.
Also pirated games will never be a full functional product.