After the trauma and mudslinging between Krafton and the former management of Unknown Worlds, plus the subsequent delay to Subnautica 2 entering Early Access, it seems life goes on. While some of the mess will doubtless be going through legal channels, there is still a game to push out, and a highly anticipated one at that.
Keen to show that work is continuing, we now have a new devlog from Unknown Worlds explaining a little more about enemy design and AI. It’s an interesting watch, and lets us focus a little more on what we should do when we think of a sequel to one of the best survival games ever made.
Bringing the Collector Leviathan to Life
The latest developer vlog provides a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the Collector Leviathan, from early concept art by Visual Development Lead Cory Strader to insights from the rest of the Unknown Worlds development team.
- Aggressive First Encounter: The Collector Leviathan is the first hostile Leviathan players will meet in Subnautica 2.
- Responsive AI: Powered by Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and stimulus systems, it reacts to light, sound, and player actions in real time.
- Lifelike Movement: Fully simulated tentacle animation creates more natural and unpredictable interactions.
- Immersive Combat Design: A terrifying roar and powerful shockwave attacks amplify the sense of danger.
Antonio Muñoz Gallego, AI designer for the creature, said, “The Collector Leviathan is not just a monster that blindly attacks players. It is an intelligent and highly threatening deep-sea lifeform that actively reacts to player behavior and pursues them.” He added, “Our main goal with our creatures was to make them feel reactive, so the Leviathan is constantly re-evaluating the situation in real time. To achieve that, we use Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and our AI stimulus system.”
Subnautica 2 is still earmarked for release, in Early Access at least in 2026.
Last Updated On: Sep 17, 2025 12:20 pm CEST