Subnautica 2 Guide: All Confirmed Leviathans
Every confirmed Leviathan in Subnautica 2 explained, from the squid-like Collector to the mysterious flying giants seen in the cinematic trailer.
Subnautica 2 drops players onto a brand-new alien planet, and the ocean floor is anything but empty. Leviathans, the series’ signature class of colossal predators and passive giants, are back in full force. Four distinct creatures have been confirmed through trailers, dev vlogs, and official teasers, and they look nothing like the Reapers and Ghosts veterans encountered on 4546B. This guide breaks down every confirmed Leviathan, what we know about each creature’s behavior, and what to realistically expect when you finally come face-to-face with them.
What are Leviathans in Subnautica 2?
Leviathans are the largest creature class in the Subnautica series. They range from aggressive apex predators that will pursue your submersible across multiple biomes to passive giants that only become dangerous in specific situations. Subnautica 2 takes place on an entirely different planet from the original game and Subnautica: Below Zero, meaning players will encounter a completely new lineup of Leviathan species with no direct returning creatures from either previous title.
A total of four Leviathans have been officially revealed ahead of the Early Access launch. Some have received detailed profiles through developer coverage, while others remain little more than silhouettes or brief appearances in cinematic footage.
( Collector Leviathian )
All confirmed Leviathans in Subnautica 2
Collector Leviathan
The Collector Leviathan is the most thoroughly documented of the four. Resembling a gigantic squid-like creature, it first appeared in an official teaser trailer for Subnautica 2. Unknown Worlds later expanded on the reveal with a developer vlog showcasing the creature’s design process, including how the team transformed early concept art into a fully realized in-game model.
Out of all the confirmed Leviathans, the Collector has received the most direct attention from the developers so far. Its name strongly hints at hoarding or territorial tendencies, although Unknown Worlds has not officially confirmed how the creature will interact with players, vehicles, or base structures.
Deepwing Brooder Leviathan
The Deepwing Brooder Leviathan is easily the most mysterious creature on this list. Unknown Worlds has only revealed its silhouette so far, which appeared as part of a Fan Art Challenge shared on the studio’s official website. No concrete details regarding its behavior, habitat, or overall size had been revealed by the time Subnautica 2 entered Early Access on May 14, 2026.
Its name alone raises plenty of interesting possibilities. The term “Brooder” hints at parental or nesting instincts, potentially suggesting a creature that becomes far more aggressive in certain situations, much like real-world deep-sea species that fiercely protect their eggs. However, this remains purely speculative, as Unknown Worlds has not confirmed any of these behaviors.
Unknown Clam Leviathan
Spotted during the Early Access Cinematic Trailer, this creature appears to be a stationary Leviathan modeled after a giant clam. Based on what the trailer shows, it sits in place rather than actively patrolling a territory. The threat seems conditional: get caught inside its mouth and you’re in serious trouble, but swimming around the outside appears relatively safe.
This design echoes a pattern from the original Subnautica, where not every Leviathan-class creature was an active hunter. The Sea Dragon was a direct threat, but the Sea Emperor was passive. The Clam Leviathan looks like it fits the passive-but-deadly category, where player awareness matters more than raw speed or evasion.
Unknown Flying Leviathan
Also appearing in the Early Access cinematic trailer, several flying creatures can be seen that appear to qualify as Leviathan-class based on their enormous size. Unlike the Clam Leviathan, these creatures seem entirely peaceful, drifting through the environment without showing any reaction to the player. Their role may be more atmospheric, similar to the Subnautica series’ Sea Treader Leviathans, which functioned as passive herd creatures in the original game.
The introduction of flying Leviathans marks a major shift for the series. Both previous games focused almost exclusively on underwater exploration, so creatures of this scale soaring above the environment suggest that Subnautica 2 could place far greater emphasis on surface and aerial regions than players initially expected.
Are Any Leviathans Returning From the Original Games?
The short answer is no, and that appears to be entirely intentional. Subnautica 2 takes place on a completely different planet from both the original Subnautica and Subnautica: Below Zero. Unknown Worlds followed a similar design philosophy with Below Zero. Even though that game was set on the same planet as the original, creatures like the Reaper Leviathan and Ghost Leviathan were absent from Sector Zero because the region had its own distinct ecosystem.
With an entirely new planet in Subnautica 2, there is even less reason to expect older Leviathans to return as living threats. The ecosystem is completely alien, and every confirmed creature revealed so far looks vastly different from the wildlife found on 4546B.
That said, Unknown Worlds is still giving longtime fans a small callback. A statue of the Reaper Leviathan from the original game will reportedly be available as a base decoration, serving as a nostalgic reference without disrupting the ecological consistency of the new setting.
What Should You Expect From Leviathans in Early Access?
Early Access launches with four confirmed Leviathans — but that number is almost guaranteed to grow over time. Unknown Worlds has a history of introducing new creatures throughout development, and the Subnautica 2 Early Access roadmap already confirms that more biomes and creatures are planned for future updates. And in past games, nearly every major biome had its own apex predator — meaning more regions will likely bring more Leviathans.
The Early Access map is also being described as the largest starting world Unknown Worlds has ever released for an Early Access launch. That gives the currently confirmed Leviathans a massive amount of territory to roam.
Expect creatures like the Collector and the Clam Leviathan to dominate specific depth zones — especially deeper, more dangerous areas. Meanwhile, the flying Leviathans will likely appear closer to the surface, or in open-sky regions, where players can explore above the ocean.
If you plan on jumping in at launch, the Subnautica 2 Early Access launch date guide covers platform availability, Xbox Game Pass support, and how to access the game on day one. The full Subnautica 2 guides collection should also become much more valuable once players begin mapping Leviathan locations, discovering biome depth ranges, and sharing survival strategies after release.
Source: Steam
