“I cannot condone piracy, but I get why people do” - Subnautica 2 lead designer airs frustration at ‘flagrant’ pirates

Subnautica 2 launched in early access this week, but before its official release, pirated copies of the survival game began circulating online. Some players publicly boasted about acquiring illicit versions in the official Subnautica Discord server, prompting a response from the game’s design lead Anthony Gallegos.

Gallegos acknowledged the reality of piracy with measured understanding, stating “pirates are gonna do their thing. We were all kids once. Money and the economy is very hard. I get it.” However, he expressed clear disappointment at the public nature of the theft, particularly when directed at the development team. “Thanks for pirating a game that I’ve spent years working on,” he told one self-reported pirate. “I’m disappointed that you’d do that when it’s kind of how we make our living. I hope you rethink your life choices.”

In an unexpected turn, Unknown Worlds confirmed that one pirate accidentally revealed themselves after contacting the developer seeking support for their illegally obtained copy. The developer noted that leaked versions circulating online were incomplete development builds that “do not reflect the content or gameplay experience being prepared for the official release.”

Perhaps most notably, the situation sparked an unusual breach of pirate etiquette. Members of the r/piracy subreddit criticized the vocal pirates for openly bragging about piracy, with some users expressing agreement with Gallegos’s stance that boasting about the theft was disrespectful to developers. The incident highlights the tension between gaming communities and intellectual property protections, while underscoring that even within piracy communities, public mockery of developers carries social consequences.

“I cannot condone piracy, but I get why people do” - Subnautica 2 lead designer airs frustration at ‘flagrant’ pirates

Sources