Subnautica 2 and Forza Horizon 6 are great sequels but they don’t take any risks
Subnautica 2 has launched in early access, resolving a contentious development period marked by significant corporate drama. The publisher delayed the game’s release and terminated key developers in an attempt to avoid paying a substantial bonus to the team. Following backlash, the developers have been reinstated, though the bonus dispute remains unresolved and subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
According to the coverage, both Subnautica 2 and Forza Horizon 6 represent competent but creatively cautious sequels. Rather than taking meaningful risks or pushing their franchises in bold new directions, both games appear focused on delivering incremental improvements over their predecessors. The article reflects broader concerns about risk-aversion in major game development, particularly how corporate decision-making sometimes prioritizes cost-cutting over creative ambition or honoring commitments to development teams. The piece critiques a paradoxical trend in late-capitalist gaming, where companies occasionally choose not to release products rather than accept planned expenditures.