The saga around Subnautica 2’s Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton continues.
The saga around Subnautica 2’s Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton continues, with a pre-trial brief filed by former studio bosses claiming Krafton’s CEO was looking for any way to avoid paying a bonus to the developers.
To recap, Krafton initially delayed the release of Subnautica 2 from this year into 2026. Just prior to this, Krafton ousted key members of the development and leadership team at Unknown Worlds, including Charlie Cleveland, who was game director on the original Subnautica. Krafton told Eurogamer the decision to delay Subnautica 2’s early access release into 2026 was „under discussion“ prior to any leadership changes at Unknown Worlds, adding feedback from playtests had „highlighted a few areas that could benefit from further refinement before release“. At this time, Krafton claimed the delay wasn’t to do with a reported bonus for the Subnautica 2 team should they have reached previously determined revenue targets.
However, following his dismissal, Cleveland shared a statement on reddit, where he called recent events „quite a shock“. Cleveland added Subnautica 2 was in fact ready for its early access debut, despite Krafton suggesting otherwise. The former Unknown Worlds head along with his fellow ousted leaders then announced legal action against Krafton, after the publisher shared a statement accusing the former employees of ‚abandoning‘ the underwater survival sequel.
