The mysterious firing of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds’ founders earlier this month retains taking sudden turns, and the most recent is that the veteran recreation builders are actually suing writer Krafton over the dismissals, which occurred with a $250 million payout on the road. Caught within the obvious crossfire is the sport itself, the second-most-wishlisted on Steam, which the writer delayed to 2026 amid the facility wrestle.
“We’ve now filed a lawsuit in opposition to Krafton: the small print ought to finally develop into (no less than principally) public – you all deserve the complete story,” franchise artistic director Charlie Cleveland wrote on Reddit final night time, hours after the writer accused him and fellow former studio leaders Max McGuire and CEO Ted Gill of failing to get Subnautica 2 prepared for launch. “Suing a multi-billion greenback firm in a painful, public and presumably protracted manner was definitely not on my bucket checklist. However this must be made proper. Subnautica has been my life’s work and I’d by no means willingly abandon it or the superb staff that has poured their hearts into it.”
Unknown Worlds was bought to Krafton in 2022 for roughly $500 million. If the studio hit income targets this yr, the founders had been on observe to get a further $250 million payout, with a share of that going to the rank-and-file builders on the studio flooring. However delaying Subnautica 2‘s Early Entry launch to 2026 makes hitting that objective principally inconceivable. Krafton says it didn’t hearth them to keep away from the payout, however as a result of the founders did not ship a launch-quality model of Subnautica 2 as promised. Cleveland, who directed the primary recreation, has for his half clamed the sport was prepared.
There are actually additionally alleged leaks of an inside Might 2025 milestone evaluate floating round on-line that paint a messy image of the sport’s improvement timeline. It consists of an evaluation that Subnautica 2‘s Early Entry model was too content-light to “drive IP development and growth” and requires 30 % extra content material, together with further biomes, creatures, and narrative chapters. If correct, it might lend credence to Krafton’s current claims, although for now the alleged leak stays unsubstantiated.
This is able to hardly be the primary time that studio founders bought right into a messy and drawn-out combat with their mum or dad writer over debates about scope, timelines, and bonus payouts. Essentially the most infamous model of that was Infinity Ward leaders Vince Zampella and Jason West’s high-profile 2010 lawsuit in opposition to Activision over Name of Responsibility: Fashionable Warfare royalties. The litigation went on for 2 years earlier than it was settled, full of tons of untamed revelations about every little thing from company espionage to Activision’s then-unannounced plans for the primary Future.
We’ll see how lengthy this lawsuit lasts and what it will definitely reveals. Hopefully, Unknown Worlds’ roughly 100 staff are capable of nonetheless ship a great recreation and get what they’re owed within the course of. “As for the earnout, the concept Max, Ted and I needed to maintain all of it for ourselves is completely unfaithful,” Cleveland wrote in his newest replace. “I’m on this business as a result of I find it irresistible, not for riches. Traditionally we’ve at all times shared our income with the staff and did the identical once we bought the studio. You could be damned certain we’ll proceed with the earnout/bonus as properly. They deserve it for all their unimaginable work making an attempt to get this nice recreation into your arms.”
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