Subnautica 2 Buddy System guide
What Buddy System adds
Early Access 1.2 is officially named Buddy System. It adds five player-facing systems to the existing four-player online co-op experience: Proximity Chat, Player Revives, Emotes, Player Trading, and two new characters. Unknown Worlds also shipped bug fixes with the update. This page explains what the official announcement verifies and where a live squad still needs to check its own controls.
| Feature | Verified 1.2 behavior | Squad planning result |
|---|---|---|
| Proximity Chat | Added for co-op communication | Discuss audio devices and push-to-talk before diving |
| Player Revives | Players can revive before reprinting | Assign someone to reach a downed teammate |
| Emotes | Five expressions are available from a radial menu | Use them when voice is unclear |
| Player Trading | Players directly exchange inventory items | Agree what is being handed over before trading |
| Characters | Jegna, Grace, and two color schemes were added | Choose a look without assuming new abilities |
Confirm your game version
Unknown Worlds describes the update as a free automatic download. If Steam does not show it, the official advice is to restart Steam rather than look for a separate product page. Squad members should compare game versions before assuming everyone can use the same features. The feature set did not stop at 1.2. Buddy System Hotfix 1 arrived on September 1, 2026 and included a Proximity Chat push-to-talk fix. If voice transmission behaves differently between players, first confirm that every member has the same build, then check the current platform audio settings.
Coordinate with Proximity Chat
Proximity Chat gives spoken communication a spatial dimension: it is designed around player proximity rather than a permanent squad-wide channel. That can make quiet exploration and close rescue work feel more natural, but it also means a player far away may not hear an urgent instruction clearly. This guide does not publish exact keys, menu paths, or platform differences because those details were not captured from the official source. Before a long session, each player should locate their own input and output settings, confirm push-to-talk behavior after Hotfix 1, and agree on a backup signal when distance or noise makes voice unreliable.
Revive without losing gear
The official revival rules are the most important part of Buddy System. Players can revive one another before a reprint. Revived players keep their equipment and receive a small amount of oxygen. That wording matters: rescue preserves gear, but it does not promise unlimited air or a full recovery bar. A downed player can still choose to reprint instead. The official announcement says reprinting returns that player to their assigned Biobed. Your squad therefore has two routes: rescue in place when a teammate can safely reach the downed player, or use the Biobed return when recovery nearby is too dangerous.
| Situation | Safer first check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Teammate falls nearby | Distance, predators, and remaining oxygen | Reviving can preserve equipment |
| Recovery area is hostile | Whether retreat or rescue is realistic | A second collapse helps nobody |
| Player reprints | Assigned Biobed and route back | The squad reunites at a known point |
| Voice fails | Emote or text fallback | Clear intent still guides the rescue |
Use emotes deliberately
Buddy System adds Wave, Clap, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, and Frustrated. They are selected through a new radial menu. These are practical squad signals: a thumbs up can confirm a trade, a wave can attract attention, and thumbs down can warn against a risky approach. The official announcement does not assign keys or describe every animation, so treat the list above as the complete verified feature set rather than a control map. A squad that agrees on two or three meanings before diving will get more value from emotes than one that discovers them mid-emergency.
Trade items and choose characters
Player Trading lets players directly exchange inventory items. That reduces the need to drop objects and hope the correct person picks them up, especially when handing tools, resources, or emergency supplies to the player who needs them next. The official material does not describe a complete interface flow, so confirm the available prompts in your current build before assuming every item can move in every direction. Character Customization adds Jegna and Grace, plus two new character color schemes. No official claim in the captured update says these characters have special gameplay abilities. Choose them as appearance options first; if a later patch changes that, update this page with the exact official wording.
Prepare your squad routine
Buddy System improves coordination, but it does not remove the need to plan. A useful pre-dive checklist is short: confirm the build, test voice input, review the rescue rule, agree on two emotes, and identify what will be traded. Players who want the broader crossplay and squad context should start with the multiplayer guide, while players testing preview changes should follow the separate Experimental Branch warnings in the Experimental guide. Patch-day players should also check the update tracker before searching for a fix. If the new social systems affect your willingness to buy during Early Access, combine them with the evidence in the Early Access review rather than treating one feature as a full verdict.
Evidence boundaries
This page is based on the official Buddy System announcement, the official Hotfix 1 record, and corroborating reports from PC Gamer, PCGamesN, and Rock Paper Shotgun. Exact key bindings, platform-specific voice settings, invitation screens, complete trading prompts, and gameplay differences between Jegna and Grace were not captured. Do not turn community assumptions into instructions until those details are checked in the current build.
Common search questions
Does Subnautica 2 have proximity voice chat?
Yes. Early Access 1.2 Buddy System adds Proximity Chat. Hotfix 1 later included a push-to-talk fix, so retest your current audio controls rather than assuming launch-day behavior.
Do revived players lose their items?
No. The official announcement says revived players keep their equipment and receive a small amount of oxygen. Reprinting remains the alternate route and returns the player to an assigned Biobed.
What emotes were added?
The verified list is Wave, Clap, Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, and Frustrated. They are selected from a new radial menu.
Can players trade in Subnautica 2?
Yes. Buddy System lets players directly exchange inventory items. The captured official material does not document every interface step or restriction, so test the current prompt with your squad.
Are Jegna and Grace new playable characters?
They are two new Character Customization options in the official announcement, alongside two new color schemes. The captured official text does not claim unique gameplay abilities.