Fired creators of Subnautica 2 accused KRAFTON of sabotaging the game's release to save money
Details continue to emerge about the conflict between KRAFTON and the former leaders of Unknown Worlds studio. This time, the details have become known from a lawsuit filed against the company by the dismissed developers.
Subnautica 2
In the complaint, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire claim that their relationship with KRAFTON was fine until the beginning of 2025. Everything worsened after a meeting where the topic of $250 million in bonus payments, which KRAFTON promised to pay the studio upon achieving specific milestones that year, was discussed. The developers' forecast showed that the goals would even be exceeded: players were eagerly anticipating Subnautica 2 and added it to their wishlists on Steam 2.5 million times. Upon hearing this data, KRAFTON allegedly started intentionally delaying the game's release.
According to the plaintiffs, among other things, the company stopped working on localizing Subnautica 2 for several markets and ceased payments to suppliers. Additionally, they barely responded to emails. Because of this, Unknown Worlds missed many "extremely valuable" advertising opportunities.
The developers also noted that Subnautica 2 was ready for early access release in 2025. They are confident that the game is in good shape, despite KRAFTON's claims to the contrary and the subsequent postponement of the premiere to 2026.
Now, Gill, Cleveland, and McGuire demand compensation for their losses as determined by the court. In a statement to the media, KRAFTON reported being disappointed with the developers' decision to file a lawsuit and stated they would defend their position.