The development story of 'Subnautica 2,' from KRAFTON subsidiary Unknown Worlds, is set to be featured at Europe's largest game developer conference.

Gamescom dev, the official developer conference of Gamescom, announced on the 15th that Anthony Gallegos, Creative Director at Unknown Worlds, has been confirmed as a keynote speaker. Gamescom dev 2026 will be held at the Confex center in Cologne, Germany, from August 23 to 25.

Gallegos will deliver a keynote titled 'The Risks and Freedoms of Creating a Subnautica Sequel.' Drawing on his experience leading the development of Subnautica 2, he will discuss how to evolve a beloved franchise while preserving the core charm that fans cherish. He plans to share insights on the creative risks taken during the sequel's development, managing user expectations, and balancing innovation with familiarity.

Subnautica 2, which was developed under the leadership of Director Gallegos, was released in early access on May 15. On its launch day, the game surpassed 1 million units in cumulative sales and topped the Steam global top sellers chart, reaching over 4 million units sold within just five days of release.

Gamescom dev previously announced Amir Satvat, Business Development Director at Tencent Games, as the opening keynote speaker last month. With this latest announcement, the two-keynote lineup is now complete, and the total number of confirmed speakers has surpassed 200.

In addition to the keynotes, new sessions have been unveiled. Fleur Marty, Executive Producer at Gearbox Entertainment, will speak on development team leadership, while Duygu Cakmak, R&D Director at Creative Assembly, will discuss the safe integration of AI coding agents into game development pipelines.

The organizers also announced the 'Gamescom dev Awards,' a new program recognizing outstanding indie games and industry contributors. The awards ceremony will be held on the main stage on the afternoon of August 24. The awards consist of four categories—Visual Excellence, Best Innovative Game, Best Promising Game, and Best Sound Design—along with two 'Speaker's Choice' categories selected by the speaker community: 'Ambassador of the Year' and 'Game Design Excellence.'

Meanwhile, the development team for Pearl Abyss' 'Crimson Desert' is also scheduled to participate as speakers in the level design track at Gamescom dev 2026. The main Gamescom event will be held in Cologne from August 26 to 30, kicking off with 'Gamescom Opening Night Live' on August 25.