South Korean publisher Krafton has pushed back the release of Subnautica 2 to 2026, just months before Unknown Worlds was set to receive a $250 million bonus for meeting financial goals. The studio’s former executives are accusing the publisher of deliberately delaying the release, and they are already preparing a lawsuit, Bloomberg reports.
According to Unknown Worlds' 2021 deal, the bonus was to be paid if the game reached certain financial milestones by the end of 2025. The payments were promised to all studio employees.
However, Krafton said the release was being delayed due to testing results and a desire to improve the game's quality. The company also learned that 90% of the bonus fund was reserved for three studio executives - Ted Gill, Max McGuire, and Charlie Cleveland - who were fired last week.
In response, Charlie Cleveland wrote that Subnautica 2 was fully ready for launch in Early Access, and the dismissal came as a surprise to him. He confirmed his intention to sue Krafton and assured that the bonuses were planned to be distributed among all employees.
Krafton, however, confirmed that the remaining employees will receive promised bonuses, and that new management will ensure the project is completed. A lawsuit, if it occurs, could reveal details of the deal and the inner workings of the studio.
Subnautica 2 remains one of the most sought-after games on Steam, and the situation surrounding its release has now taken on legal and reputational resonance.