Discussions about Subnautica 2 have centered on whether players should be able to engage in combat with aquatic enemies. Many players want to defend themselves against hostile creatures like Nibbler Mangos and Hammerheads, recalling the original game's survival knife. However, developers have stated that Subnautica 2 is "not a killing game" and encouraged players interested in combat to seek other titles. This has led to mixed reactions from the community.
In response to the demand for combat, modder jibotron created the "Killable Creatures" mod, which enhances existing tools to allow players to defend against oceanic nuisances without traditional weapons. With this mod, the survival multitool inflicts 20 damage, and the sonic resonator delivers 50 damage to various creatures. While the mod functions as intended, the effort required to track down creatures can detract from gameplay enjoyment. Players can also eliminate smaller fish, but their remains do not provide resources. The mod is available on Nexus Mods, requiring the installation of the UE4SS mod for functionality.