The launch of the recent Subnautica 2 trailer by developer Unknown Worlds and its parent company, Krafton, did not go smoothly. Instead of generating excitement for the new footage, fan attention has focused on the removal of Unknown Worlds` leadership team and reports that the game`s potential delay could cause the development team to miss out on a promised $250 million bonus. This situation has led some players to call for a boycott of Subnautica 2, prompting a significant response from Krafton. The publisher issued a statement claiming the “inevitable leadership change was driven by project abandonment” by former executives.
According to reports, including one from Bloomberg, the entire Unknown Worlds team was reportedly set to share a $250 million bonus if the company achieved specific financial goals in 2025. These targets may have been contingent on Subnautica 2 releasing into early access sometime this year. A user on Reddit alleged that the game`s delay was intentionally engineered to avoid paying these bonuses, stating, “This delay is simply so [Krafton doesn`t] have to give those bonuses. They`ve already made $250 million dollars off of scamming developers. Don`t let them make more.”
The mentioned Reddit post was initially locked and was subsequently removed by moderators of the Subnautica subreddit, but not before it accumulated over 45,000 upvotes.
Charlie Cleveland, one of the founders recently removed from Unknown Worlds, has stated that Subnautica 2 is technically ready for an early-access launch. However, he noted that the decision is now solely with Krafton, and the current plan is for Subnautica 2 to release on Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2026.
Following an initial, less detailed statement attempting to explain the recent personnel changes, Krafton released a more extensive and critical statement to provide further justification for the move, including its implications for potential staff bonuses.
Krafton specifically addressed its $500 million acquisition of Unknown Worlds, stating that 90% of a potential $250 million payout was allocated to three now-former executives. This allocation was made “with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2.” Krafton contends that these three individuals “abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them.”
The statement from Krafton elaborated, “Subnautica 2 was originally planned for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed.” It continued, “Krafton made multiple requests to Charlie and Max [McGuire] to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so. In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, Krafton asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project.”
Krafton added that they believe “the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule.” They also claimed that the current, unreleased early-access version “falls short in terms of content volume.”
The company expressed deep disappointment with the conduct of the former leadership, stating, “We are deeply disappointed by the former leadership`s conduct, and above all, we feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them by our fans.”
Regarding the bonus situation, Krafton said, “We believe that the dedication and effort of this team are at the very heart of Subnautica`s ongoing evolution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised.”
The precise nature of this commitment remains unclear. When asked for clarification, a spokesperson told GameSpot that “Krafton is working on a fair and equitable compensation for those who have contributed to Subnautica 2’s continued development. We recognize that their dedication and effort are at the very heart of Subnautica’s ongoing evolution. We will have further details going forward.”
GameSpot reached out to Charlie Cleveland for comment and will provide updates if the former studio leadership responds to these allegations.