Krafton Settles Subnautica 2 Dispute, Will Pay $250 Million Bonus

Krafton has settled its legal fight with former Unknown Worlds leadership over a disputed $250 million bonus tied to Subnautica 2, and the publisher has agreed to pay it. According to a Bloomberg report, the payout will go to staff across Unknown Worlds Entertainment, including some recent hires, in three installments.

The dispute centered on bonus payments connected to revenue targets for Subnautica 2’s 2025 Early Access release. Former Unknown Worlds shareholders, represented by Fortis Advisors, accused Krafton of trying to avoid the payout by delaying the game. Those claims became public last year in a legal complaint.

Krafton denied the allegations and, in its defense, claimed former studio leaders Max McGuire, Ted Gill, and Charlie Cleveland had threatened to self-publish Subnautica 2 without Krafton’s support. The publisher also accused them of downloading large numbers of company files and emails before their departures. The former leaders denied those claims.

As part of the settlement, Ted Gill has stepped down as CEO of Unknown Worlds. Gill had previously been removed from the role before a court ordered Krafton to reinstate him earlier this year. He said the sides “mutually agreed to part ways” and that new leadership would help the studio move forward.

Bloomberg reports Krafton is expected to bring in an external CEO to lead Unknown Worlds. Subnautica 2 remains the studio’s next major release, following the survival-focused underwater formula that made the first game a breakout hit.