The article discusses an ongoing legal dispute involving Krafton, the publisher of Subnautica 2, and three former executives from the game’s developer, Unknown Worlds. Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire have filed a lawsuit alleging that Krafton is attempting to sabotage the early access release of Subnautica 2 to avoid paying a $250 million Earn Out bonus promised to former executives and developers.
The lawsuit claims Krafton’s actions have harmed fan expectations and jeopardized the game’s release, which is scheduled for the second half of 2025. It accuses Krafton of shifting focus from a successful launch to strategies for delaying the game and hindering its revenue generation to avoid bonus payments. The original Subnautica was a commercial success, making its sequel highly anticipated on platforms like Steam.
The legal document outlines meetings where Krafton leadership indicated a desire to delay the game and explore ways to eliminate the developers’ control over the release schedule. Despite public denials, it seems Krafton has recognized the potential financial consequences if the game launches as initially planned. The lawsuit also references internal communications that confirm plans to delay Subnautica 2 and acknowledges that Krafton has previously extended the Earn Out timeline to address release concerns.
