Developer Unknown Worlds has published a blog post where it has looked to talk about the upcoming sequel to Subnautica. Following former information suggesting that the game would be a live service and multiplayer-first experience, the developer has elaborated and revealed that these claims were misunderstood.
The mention of "games-as-a-service" was not in regard to Subnautica 2 being developed like other live service projects such as Destiny 2 or Overwatch 2, but was instead in regard to how the developer will be continually looking to address and improve the game for years to come - as is the case with the other Subnautica titles. Unknown Worlds goes as far as to add, "Think our Early Access update model, expanded. No season passes. No battle passes. No subscription."
Secondly, in regard to multiplayer, the developer has affirmed that the Subnautica sequel will not be "multiplayer-focused", as instead co-op will be available as a completely optional way to play.
Lastly, Unknown Worlds affirms that Early Access for this sequel will not kick off in 2024, but that more information about the game is planned to be shared this year.