The founders of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2, have accused their parent company Krafton of "changing story mid-litigation"

The original leaders of Subnautica 2's developer, Unknown Worlds, successfully opposed Krafton's attempt to secure a court-ordered protective measure. Krafton had purportedly altered its narrative mid-lawsuit regarding the reasons for dismissing the company's founders and assuming control over Unknown Worlds.

Legal documents dated September 12, accessed by GamesIndustry.biz, revealed that the court turned down Krafton's request for a forensic examination. This request was rejected without prejudice and deemed "unnecessary." Both sides are now required to engage in discussions.

The accusations against Krafton, Inc. by the former leadership of the Subnautica 2 developer became known to the public in July. The legal complaint centers on a $250 million bonus linked to revenue goals for Subnautica 2's 2025 Early Access release. The previous owners of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, through Fortis Advisors LLC, accused Krafton, Inc. of attempting to evade this payment by delaying the game's release with "pressure tactics."

Krafton, in defense, contended that the dismissed leaders threatened to self-publish Subnautica 2 without Krafton's support in terms of marketing, promotion, or distribution. This reportedly left Krafton with "no choice but to terminate their employment."

The company further alleged that Max McGuire, Ted Gill, and Charlie Cleveland downloaded a significant amount of company data and emails before their terminations. Krafton claimed these individuals "refused" to return or disclose what devices and confidential information were still in their possession.

The founders countered, citing that Krafton initially claimed dismissals were due to their "alleged plans of an early Subnautica 2 release" and questioned the game's readiness as justification for its decisions. However, they now allege Krafton has changed its stance, stating it terminated the founders due to their backup of work-related files—a theory developed later.

"Krafton’s disorganized retreat raises more questions than answers," as stated in the court submission. The claim that downloads, discovered post-dismissal, motivated the terminations was challenged as implausible.

Thus, legal representatives for former CEO Ted Gill, co-founder and creative director Charlie Cleveland, and co-founder and CTO Max McGuire sought the dismissal of Krafton’s forensic inspection request and the protection order motion, arguing that Krafton's fluid justifications were insufficient.

Explore the detailed timeline of the case between the former leads of Subnautica 2 and Krafton here.