KRAFTON DELAYS SUBNAUTICA 2, POTENTIALLY DODGING A $250 MILLION DEVELOPER PAYOUT
In what might be one of the most brazenly cynical corporate moves of the year, it appears Krafton Inc. is delaying the massively anticipated Subnautica 2 for a very specific reason: to avoid paying its developers a nine-figure bonus. A new report from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier has laid out a timeline of events so goddamn suspicious it would make a conspiracy theorist blush, involving ousted founders, a conveniently timed delay, and a quarter of a billion dollars.
A Sudden Decapitation
The saga began last week with the sudden and shocking ousting of Unknown Worlds' founders, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, along with their CEO. At the time, Krafton offered a vague corporate statement about a "new chapter." But Cleveland took to social media shortly after, stating the game was "ready for early access release" and expressing his shock at being removed from his own studio. It was the first sign that something was deeply wrong on Planet 4546B.
The Quarter-Billion Dollar "Problem"
Now, thanks to Bloomberg's reporting, we know what that "something" was. A $250 million bonus. As part of their acquisition deal, if Unknown Worlds hit certain revenue targets by the end of 2025. something a 2025 early access launch for the number two most wishlisted game on Steam would have almost certainly achieved—that massive sum was due.
And here's the kicker: the old leadership planned to share that money with the entire 100-person studio. We're talking about life-changing money for the actual people who made the game, from artists and programmers to QA testers. Payouts were expected to range from hundreds of thousands of dollars to seven-figure sums for some employees.
The Convenient Excuse
So what's Krafton's excuse for delaying the game into 2026, conveniently making that bonus payout all but impossible? According to the new interim CEO, Steve Papoutsis (from The Callisto Protocol's Striking Distance Studios), the game just "wasn't ready" and needs "more content."
When asked directly in a company town hall if this was all just a scheme to dodge the payout, he claimed he wasn't familiar with the contract—a line so full of shit it could fertilize a continent. He insisted the decision wasn't about the money, which is exactly what someone would say when it's absolutely, 100% about the money. It's a classic case of corporate gaslighting.
A Tale as Old as Time
Let's call this what it is: a brutal, cynical, and disgustingly common story in the games industry. A large publisher buys a beloved, successful indie studio, milks it for its valuable IP, and then guts it to maximize profits for shareholders at the direct expense of the creators.
Delaying a guaranteed hit that's reportedly "ready for release" just to screw your employees out of a life-changing bonus is a new level of corporate villainy. This isn't about making a better game; it's about hoarding profits. It's a dark day for the talented team at Unknown Worlds, and a stark reminder that in this industry, no amount of success, passion, or fan anticipation can protect you from the spreadsheet.