Early Access Buddy System Hotfix 1

Early Access Buddy System Hotfix 1 was the fifth hotfix update for Subnautica 2 and the first hotfix for the Buddy System update.

Changelist

• Corrected localization issue where some PDA and Databank descriptions were not displaying with translations.
• Corrected new Pioneer names (Jegna and Grace) not being displayed with translations.
• Fixed items stored on wall racks not being properly refunded when using "Refund Base."
• Fixed exterior furniture not being movable when playing as a client in multiplayer.
• Cleaned up leftover data from the base item spawn system to reduce save bloat.
• Fixed base construction ghost data lingering in saves after builds were completed.
• Fixed the base power transmitter beam appearing offset and flickering oddly, added subtle randomization to its flicker VFX for a more natural look.
• Players can no longer be released from an aggressive creature's grip via certain exploits.
• Improved pathing for the Collector Leviathan in the lower canyon areas, and tightened its collision detection.
• Increased tracker detection radius.
• Water Slug breath markers now correctly appear only when the Slug is a physical object in the world, not while it's in the player's inventory.
• Fixed currents affecting players while sheltered inside bases.
• Fixed a collision issue that blocked interaction with the Scout Ray chassis carry point.
• Players attached to a Tadpole or Haul now reliably receive oxygen replenishment.
• Blocked inventory sharing while riding in a Tadpole.
• Fixed the inventory share popup not dismissing after driving away from another player.
• Fixed an issue where dying while inventory sharing could cause problems.
• Save files now track build number and branch, preventing incompatible saves from being loaded into older builds.
• Fixed save/version compatibility tooltip not displaying correctly.
• Added improved error logging for save failures ("Platform write failed for save slot").
• Removed outdated save compatibility file no longer needed on any platform.
• Fixed a softlock that could occur on the character select screen.
• Fixed alignment guidelines appearing skewed for distant objects.
• Enabled the analytics settings toggle and removed conditions that could incorrectly disable it.
• Fixed an issue with the "Moonpool shrink mode" not properly checking for collisions.
• Added new subtitle/text string for the Air Bladder inhale action.
• Fixed push-to-talk input issue for Proximity Chat.
• Various engine and crash reporting refactors for more reliable diagnostics.
• General compile and build stability fixes.

Notes

On September 3, 2026, a minor hotfix patch (128456) with no blog post was released which fixed a softlock related to the Karakorum Power Plant turbine.