What Does the Nitrox Multiplayer Mod Add to Subnautica?

Updated

Nitrox is a free, community-developed multiplayer mod for Subnautica that lets you play the game with other people. It adds server hosting and joining, so you can run a survival playthrough with friends or a creative build session together, chat in-game, and even host large events with up to 100 players. It's available for Windows and Linux, and it's designed to work across the stores Subnautica is sold on.

What Nitrox actually adds

Nitrox turns a single-player game into a shared one. The core additions are:

  • Join or create your own server — one player hosts, others connect to that world.
  • Co-op survival and creative building — the site describes everything from "a survival playthrough with your friends to a creative build session."
  • Built-in in-game messaging — a cross-platform chat system so players can stay in touch while playing.
  • Large-event hosting — support for up to 100 players in a single session.
  • Cross-play across stores — native cross-play is built into the mod, so players on different supported store versions can play together.

Who this is for

Nitrox fits you if you already own Subnautica and want to explore, build, and survive with other people rather than alone. It's a good match for:

  • Friends who want to run a shared survival world.
  • Groups doing relaxed creative building sessions.
  • Communities or streamers hosting bigger multiplayer events.

It's less relevant if you only ever play solo, since the mod's whole purpose is adding the multiplayer layer.

Platform and store support

Feature What the site states
Operating systems Windows, Linux
Launcher Nitrox Launcher, currently available for Windows
Store compatibility "Cross-platform compatible with your favorite stores" with native cross-play
Max players Up to 100

If you're on Linux, note that the dedicated Nitrox Launcher is listed as Windows-only, even though the mod itself supports Linux.

How connecting works

Nitrox includes UPnP support for automatic port forwarding. In practice this means the mod opens the required ports on its own, so you can connect to friends "straight away without any need for third-party VPN software." That removes one of the usual friction points of hosting a multiplayer server.

Practical notes before you start

  • It's free — the site lists it as a free mod with 3.4M+ downloads.
  • It's open source with regular updates from contributors (the blog shows version 1.8.1.0 as a recent release).
  • Localization is broad — the mod supports a long list of community-added languages, including English, German, French, Spanish, Chinese, and many more.
  • Check the install guide and FAQ — the site points new users to its install guide and FAQ page, which is the right first stop for setup questions.

If you want to see who else is playing, the site also links a community space for finding servers and talking to other Nitrox players.