World Watches Subnautica

[A.N AI's name is now Cortana, also next few chapters had too much chinese glaze, so I had to rewrite a lot and use some AI, if you notice please bear with it for next 1-3 chapters doesn't last long]

The game 'Subnautica' was turning heads across the entire gaming community. Its gameplay alone was enough to crush most of the titles currently on the market.

And yet, strangely enough, this addictive masterpiece didn't keep players glued to their screens for endless hours like League of Legends or CS. Not because they didn't want to, but because their bodies couldn't handle it.

The audience watching Natalie's livestream totally understood. After all, they had just witnessed her sweating it out for over two full hours in her VR suit.

"Natalie! Can you ask when Subnautica will officially launch?"

"Yeah, please ask! I need this game in my life right now!"

"This is exactly the kind of game I dreamed about as a kid. It's like living out my fantasy of being an astronaut exploring alien worlds!"

"I need to play this game... I want to go save that woman in pod 2!"

"Same here! Damn it, I feel anxious just thinking about it!"

"Take my money already! Just release it!!"

The chat exploded with questions about the game's official release date. The quality of Subnautica had blown everyone away.

Natalie nodded with a smile. "Okay, okay. I get how excited you all are. I'll reach out to the people at New World Studio and post any updates on my Twitter."

She ended the stream shortly after. Peeling off her extra sensory suit and stepping down from the VR platform, she collapsed onto her bed.

"So... tired…"

She wasn't the only one. Around the same time, another popular streamer, PureWhite, also wrapped up his livestream.

Despite usually sitting at a desk all day, this game demanded real physical effort, and most streamers simply weren't built for it.

Just like Natalie, PureWhite had chosen to rush to pod 2 after receiving the distress call. And just like her, he'd failed.

The combination of emotional blow and physical exhaustion left PureWhite completely drained, he couldn't keep going, even as a grown man.

---BREAK---

Meanwhile, halfway across the globe in Seattle, a major event was unfolding at NetPack's headquarters.

Under the direction of the company's leadership, hundreds of employees had gathered in a large hall to watch Natalie's stream.

Originally, NetPack had been granted early access to 'Subnautica'. But due to careless testing and poor execution, they'd botched their trial, and lost access.

Now, the only way they could study the game was to watch streamers play it live. They even had real time software working alongside them, recording everything happening on screen.

It was embarrassing. A world renowned gaming giant reduced to analyzing livestreams.

When the director announced the session, the employees had instinctively groaned. But within minutes… everyone was hooked.

The experience felt surreal, like watching a documentary from the future, showcasing humanity's struggle for survival deep beneath the ocean.

So when Natalie ended her stream, none of them reacted right away. Some even joked about sending her tips just to convince her to keep playing.

The room buzzed with a strange, hollow energy, as if they'd just been pulled out of a dream.

The director cleared his throat and called for attention.

"Alright, everyone. The livestream's over. Let's talk. What are your impressions of Subnautica?"

Instantly, hands shot up and comments flew.

"It's a shame we couldn't save the woman in pod 2. When the game's out, I'm going back to rescue her no matter what!"

"I wonder if she's even savable. Maybe it's just scripted... Maybe it's meant to leave you haunted."

"If that's the case, then I have to hand it to New World Studio. That kind of emotional manipulation? Genius."

"But seriously, that deep sea atmosphere… It gave me chills. I don't even know if I could handle it at night."

"Everything was just too real…"

Then, someone said what many had been thinking.

"You guys noticed that streamer she was pretty admirable, right? Kinda thinking of following her channel."

"Yeah, she's cute too."

"Voice was a bit raspy though."

"Hey, hey, aren't we supposed to be analyzing the game?"

The director slammed his hand on the table.

"Focus! I didn't bring you all here to discuss the streamer's looks. What can we learn from the game?"

There was a pause. Then, one developer raised a hand.

"To be honest, Director... there's a lot to learn. The visuals, the interactivity, the plot structure, even the emotional depth, it's all top tier."

"But here's the thing... while we can take inspiration from the plot and pacing, the technical side... Can we even replicate that?"

That silenced the room.

Because he was right. They were all game developers, yet none of them had any access to the game's internal build files. They couldn't even peek under the hood.

If they wanted to truly understand how Subnautica worked, they'd need to visit New World Studio in person. Otherwise, the tech would remain unavailable.

"Once the game launches," the director finally said, "we'll dissect every inch of it. We'll reverse engineer every line of code we can."

Then, his expression turned serious.

"Also… has anyone noticed something strange about the in-game AI? That 'Cortana' assistant?"

The entire room nodded.

"She's... way too smart."

"I've never seen an AI respond like that. It's like talking to a real person."

"Yeah, compared to that, our NPCs are total potatoes. Stiff, repetitive, limited."

"Cortana's conversations felt totally natural. Almost like… she understood the player."

Normally, in most games NPCs, even ones made by best studios like Sony, were limited to simple lines or selectable dialogue trees.

But Subnautica? Cortana was holding conversations. Real ones. In real time.

There was no comparison.

"In a single player game… they've embedded an AI this advanced? What kind of tech is New World Studio working with?"

"Is Microsoft involved? Is this part of some big AI training experiment?"

"The way Cortana adapted... it's like she learns with every interaction."

The director knocked on the table again.

"After the game's out, we're diving deep into the AI tech too. Even if we can't reach the same level, we need to understand it."

NetPack wasn't alone.

Across the industry, giants like Nintendo, Ubisoft, Microsoft, even Apple and Tesla, they were all secretly watching.

If 'Silent Hill PT' had stunned the gaming world...

Then Subnautica was blowing the industry wide open.

Every major internet company was scrambling to make connections, trying to uncover just who the mysterious New World Studio really was.

Because everyone could feel it.

Subnautica wasn't just a simple videogame.

It was the start of something much, much bigger.

1098 Words.