Following a successful launch of Subnautica 2 in Early Access, Krafton is expected to pay its developer, Unknown Worlds, a significant $250 million bonus. Reports indicate this bonus represents roughly 35% of Krafton’s operating profit from the prior year.
The bonus stems from Krafton’s 2021 acquisition of Unknown Worlds. The agreement included payments to the studio’s previous owners: $3.12 for every dollar earned, up to a total of $250 million, if Unknown Worlds generated $69.8 million in monthly revenue.
The purchase caused significant disagreements between Krafton and the team at Unknown Worlds. Last July, the company announced that Subnautica 2 was intended to enter Early Access in 2024, but they attributed the hold-up to issues with leadership at the development studio.
The publisher stated that the $250 million in compensation was intended for the three founders of Unknown Worlds – Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire – and the deal was made with the understanding that they would actively lead the development of Subnautica 2.
Unfortunately, the previous team didn’t follow through on their commitments. Originally, Subnautica 2 was scheduled to enter Early Access in early 2024, but that release has been pushed back considerably.
This naturally led to several disagreements between the co-founders and Krafton, eventually resulting in legal action. The co-founders accused Krafton, and its CEO Changham Kim specifically, of trying to avoid paying the agreed-upon bonuses to the studio, even claiming he consulted ChatGPT for guidance on how to do so.
According to a legal document filed in November by the lawyers representing Cleveland, Gill, and McGuire, Kim was extremely worried about Krafton being required to pay the earn-out and became fixated on finding a way to avoid it. Maria Park, Krafton’s head of corporate development, even told Kim that payment was likely even if the sales target was met, despite any reason to terminate the agreement. Kim then tried using ChatGPT to come up with solutions, but the AI also indicated it would be hard to cancel the earn-out. Despite this, Kim continued his efforts.
The legal dispute has been resolved. A judge in Delaware ruled that Unknown Worlds’ CEO, Gill, would be reinstated. Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will stated that Krafton violated its agreement by firing key employees without a legitimate reason and by taking control of Unknown Worlds improperly. The ruling favors Fortis, the group representing the founders of Unknown Worlds, regarding the initial claims made.
While we wait for the full release, Subnautica 2 is now available on PC and Xbox Series X/S as an Early Access game. The developers, Unknown Worlds, are already working on making it better. Just this week, they released an update that increased the amount of Silver and Troilite players can find and made Hammerheads a little less powerful.
Read More
- Gold Rate Forecast
- 10 Most Powerful Versions of Superman, Ranked
- 10 Best Free Games on Steam in 2026, Ranked
- GBP CNY PREDICTION
- Forza Horizon 6 Car List So Far: Confirmed Highlights, Cover Cars, DLC, and Rewards
- 007 First Light: Release Date, Story, Gameplay, Cast, Editions, and Platforms
- 10 Greatest Manga Endings of All Time
- Black State Trailer Showcases Ray-Traced Reflections and DLSS 4 Performance
- Forza Horizon 6 PC Issues: Fix Crashes, Stuttering, Steam Errors, and Game Pass Problems
- DOGE PREDICTION. DOGE cryptocurrency
2026-05-29 15:11