Lawyers representing the co-founders of Unknown Worlds have accused Krafton of "deliberately leaking" the release date for Subnautica 2

Attorneys representing the founders of Unknown Worlds, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire, have accused Krafton of "intentionally leaking" information about Subnautica 2's early access launch planned for May.

According to Game File, former Unknown Worlds executive Steve Papoutsis revealed the launch date a day after a court ruling ordered the reinstatement of CEO Ted Gill.

As part of his return, Gill was set to oversee the early access launch of Subnautica 2 and negotiate a $250 million performance bonus for himself and his team.

The legal team for Unknown Worlds contends that Krafton did not comply with the court's orders, citing Papoutsis's announcement of the release date through a leaked memo as evidence.

In correspondence with Vice Chancellor Will of the Delaware Chancery Court, who is in charge of the case, the lawyers stated: "Krafton moved forward with the announcement disregarding its effects on the game, its team, and the player community, as well as the court's directive."

"Launching a game marks a significant event, usually featuring extensive promotional efforts, community involvement, and strategies to generate excitement, all of which were meant to be orchestrated by Mr. Gill," they added. "However, Krafton's actions undercut this plan, sowing further confusion among the Subnautica fans."

Responding in a separate communication, Krafton stated: "Papoutsis merely intended to acknowledge the UW team’s dedication toward a previously planned milestone — Krafton's pre-Opinion decision that Subnautica 2 was ready for Early Access. There's nothing improper about sharing milestone results or expressing gratitude to the development team."

"As CEO, Gill retains the freedom to evaluate Subnautica 2’s progress and determine the release schedule; Papoutsis's message does not affect Gill's authority," Krafton added.

For more details, view the full timeline of the dispute between the former Subnautica 2 developers and Krafton.