Subnautica: Below Zero update adds very large ice worms and new areas

Subnautica sequel Below Zero, which is in early access on Steam and the Epic Store, now includes an above-zero chance of encountering a leviathan-class Ice Worm. It takes a very large worm to earn the 'leviathan' descriptor, and from the looks of the trailer above, our new friend doesn't disappoint.

The extra large worm can be found in the new Arctic Spires area, not that it's a good idea to actively seek it out. Other areas added in the update are the Lilypad Islands, where Lily Paddlers roam (I love Subnautica's on-the-nose naming), and the Frozen Creature Site, which is built around a frozen leviathan-class creature that the Alterra Corporation was once studying. This creature is actually stuck in a block of ice, unlike the leviathan Ice Worms, which are just icy in nature and will kill you.

The story has also been expanded with new, text-only dialogue. (More voice acting will come later.) And finally, Pengwings will now react to changes in the weather, which would be cuter if they didn't look like penguins who've been mixed with toucans by a machine learning algorithm.

Subnautica: Below Zero has been in early access since January, and Unknown Worlds tentatively predicted that version 1.0 would take a year or more. You can read more about this latest update in the developer's post about it on Steam.

Tyler grew up in Silicon Valley during the '80s and '90s, playing games like Zork and Arkanoid on early PCs. He was later captivated by Myst, SimCity, Civilization, Command & Conquer, all the shooters they call "boomer shooters" now, and PS1 classic Bushido Blade (that's right: he had Bleem!). Tyler joined PC Gamer in 2011, and today he's focused on the site's news coverage. His hobbies include amateur boxing and adding to his 1,200-plus hours in Rocket League.