What is Natural Selection 2?[]
Natural Selection 2 (NS2) is a multiplayer computer game mixing first-person shooter and real-time strategy gameplay featuring two unique playable sides and dynamic environments. It is set in a science fiction universe, the very same as the underwater open world adventure game: Subnautica.
What are the system requirements?[]
These are the requirements retrieved from the game's page on Steam as retrieved on 30th of November 2021.
Minimum:
- OS: 7 64-Bit (SP1) or Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Dual-core processor 2.4 GHz (Intel Core 2 Duo, i3), 2.6 GHz (AMD Athlon or FX)
- Memory: 6 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible dedicated video card with 2 GB VRAM
- DirectX®: 11.0
- Hard Drive: 13 GB HD space
Recommended:
- OS: 7 64-Bit (SP1) or Windows 10 64-Bit
- Processor: Quad-core processor 3.2 GHz (Intel i5, i7) or 3.6 GHz (AMD Ryzen, FX or Athlon)
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: DirectX 11 compatible dedicated video card with 4 GB VRAM
- DirectX®: 11.0
- Hard Drive: 13 GB HD space
Other Requirements: Broadband Internet connection
Where's the technical support for Natural Selection 2?[]
You'll receive technical support in the offical tech support forum, the official Discord, or at the Technical Issue Steam sub section.
Please take your time to read the pinned messages before you open a thread there.
What's the best way to keep in touch with the Natural Selection 2 community?[]
Just join the official Discord server where you'll find most of the other players, mappers, modders, playtesters and developers. This is also the place to keep in touch with the Wiki Keepers that try their best to build the best Natural Selection 2 encyclopedia.
What languages does NS2 support?[]
The steam page lists available languages. English is the only spoken language, but the interface is translated to some other languages including French, German, Spanish, Polish and Russian. You can help translate NS2 into multiple languages here.
What's the modding situation with NS2?[]
Without modding, there would have been no Natural Selection, so we're dedicated to providing the community with the most powerful and easy-to-use modding tools possible. We're shipping all our content tools we are using to build Natural Selection 2 along with the game. This includes our level editor, model viewer, cinematic editor. Furthermore, because we are writing 100% of our game in Lua script, you'll be able to add your own weapons, gameplay modes and entirely new games with relative ease. Everyone that buys the game will get the same tools we used to build the game. We're even shipping our commercial script debugger and our own gameplay code with the game. So we expect NS2 to be the most modded game ever!
Just have a look at the Steam Workshop full of community mods.
Is Natural Selection 2 still active?[]
NS2 is still actively developed and receives about 1 update a quarter. Currently, the developers work on a major patch so the interval between patches might be longer than usual. The major patch is mainly about Matched Play.
If you wonder how many players still play the game daily/currently either have a look at https://steamdb.info/app/4920/graphs/ or directly open the server browser (in Steam click at View -> Servers -> filter game after Natural Selection 2 and refresh all).
Does NS2 include Combat mode from NS?[]
No, the games does not include a combat mode. There is a community mod for Combat Mode though.
31st of October 2014 NS2: Combat was released on Steam. It's a stand alone game from NS2 developed by a different studio.
Does Natural Selection 2 offer matchmaking?[]
Natural Selection 2 does offer matchmaking, however it is currently in beta state (see Matched Play for more details). The full version is being actively developed.
Also please remember that there are special servers for only new players so you can get used to the game without having to fight against veterans.
What's the best way to improve myself in Natural Selection 2?[]
Playing competitive gathers in a 6 v 6 format is a good way to improve (you need an account on ensl.org first). You can also check those well-made tutorials and the many community guides you can find on Steam.
What does the Deluxe Edition include?[]
The Digital Deluxe Edition includes:
- Official Soundtrack - 1 hour of tribal, industrial music composed by David John and Simon Chylinski
- Digital Art Book - 40+ pages of art by Cory Strader, including environments, creatures, weapons and more
- Exclusive in-game marine model - Exclusive in-game marine model - A new marine model with custom visor and armor plating
- Exclusive Wallpapers and Avatars - Unique views of the NS2 universe by Amanda Diaz