The development of Subnautica 2 has taken a dramatic turn as former executives from Unknown Worlds have filed a lawsuit against the game’s publisher, Krafton. The move follows their termination and a recent email from Krafton blaming the leadership team for failing to meet early access deadlines.
Fired Devs Fire Back With Lawsuit
The lawsuit, confirmed by former Subnautica director Charlie Cleveland on Reddit, accuses Krafton of mishandling the situation and wrongfully blaming him and fellow former execs Max McGuire and Ted Gill for the game’s delay. Cleveland shared everything in his full post stating:
"Hello everyone,
It continues to be an explosive and surreal time for the Subnautica team and community. None of this is what we wanted. But we truly appreciate the amazing support we’ve gotten from everyone. It means a lot to us, especially now.
As I wrote last week, we know in our souls that the game is ready for Early Access - that’s just how we roll. And we’d like nothing more than for you to play it (game devs live for this). But it’s not currently under our control.
We’ve now filed a lawsuit against Krafton: the details should eventually become (at least mostly) public - you all deserve the full story. Suing a multi-billion dollar company in a painful, public and possibly protracted way was certainly not on my bucket list. But this needs to be made right. Subnautica has been my life’s work and I would never willingly abandon it or the amazing team that has poured their hearts into it.
As for the earnout, the idea that Max, Ted and I wanted to keep it all for ourselves is totally untrue. I’m in this industry because I love it, not for riches. Historically we’ve always shared our profits with the team and did the same when we sold the studio. You can be damned sure we’ll continue with the earnout/bonus as well. They deserve it for all their incredible work trying to get this great game into your hands.
Stay tuned.
-Charlie"
Cleveland emphasized that Subnautica has been his life’s work and said the decision to take legal action wasn’t made lightly.
$250 Million Bonus Also At The Center of Controversy
At the heart of the dispute is a performance-based payout worth $250 million, which Krafton alleges was mostly slated to go to Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill. Krafton claimed that 90% of the potential earnout would have gone to the trio, suggesting misaligned incentives.
Cleveland responded by calling the claim totally untrue, insisting the team had always shared profits across the studio, including when the company was sold:
"I’m in this industry because I love it, not for riches... You can be damned sure we’ll continue with the earnout/bonus as well."
Subnautica 2 Delayed to 2026
Originally planned for early access this year, Subnautica 2 has now been officially delayed until 2026. The delay, compounded by the public fallout between Krafton and the development leads, casts uncertainty over the future of the franchise.
Right now there is no official response from Krafton that has been posted regarding the lawsuit, but Cleveland suggested that more details would become public in time. For now, the community is left in the middle of a dispute between the game’s creators and its publisher both claiming to act in the game’s best interest.
With Subnautica 2’s fate tied up in legal and leadership drama, fans of the beloved underwater survival series may be in for a long wait and a deeper story behind the scenes than anyone anticipated. Hopefully it all turns out well in the end, however it most likely will not. Stay tuned for more updates as they come.
Immerse yourself in a new adventure with Subnautica 2, an open-water survival game from the creators of the Subnautica series. Play alone or with friends as you explore alluring biomes and discover fascinating creatures.