The journey of Subnautica 2 to players` hands appears to be navigating unexpected, and rather turbulent, waters. What was anticipated as a deep-sea survival adventure is now intertwined with a public corporate dispute. Following sharp public commentary from publisher Krafton, the former creative and leadership team behind the beloved series at developer Unknown Worlds has initiated legal action.
At the center of this unfolding drama are Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, co-founders of Unknown Worlds, alongside former CEO Ted Gill. Their departure from the studio coincided with the announcement of a delay for Subnautica 2 and surfaced amidst discussions surrounding a significant financial incentive: a potential $250 million bonus for Unknown Worlds. This substantial earnout was reportedly contingent upon the studio meeting certain financial metrics by 2025. With the game now formally scheduled for a 2026 release, achieving those 2025 targets becomes, perhaps, a technical impossibility, casting a long shadow over the bonus payout.
The situation escalated following Krafton`s public statement, which employed what some might term a “scorched-earth” approach, explicitly accusing the former leaders of neglecting their responsibilities during a critical development phase for Subnautica 2. This public broadside from the publisher seemingly set the stage for the legal counter-move.
Charlie Cleveland confirmed the lawsuit filing via social media, stating that the specifics would eventually enter the public domain. He expressed a clear motivation: “this needs to be made right.” Cleveland passionately defended his connection to the project, calling Subnautica his life`s work and vehemently denying any intent to abandon either the game or the dedicated team who invested their efforts into it.
Addressing another point of contention, Cleveland directly refuted the notion that he and his former partners intended to claim the entire potential $250 million bonus for themselves. He highlighted their past practice of sharing profits with the development team, both historically and during the studio`s acquisition by Krafton, asserting that they fully intended to share the earnout bonus as well. The sentiment being that the team`s incredible work on the game warranted their share of any potential financial success.
While the legal proceedings commence, development on Subnautica 2 continues under new leadership at Unknown Worlds. The game`s revised launch window is now confirmed for 2026, targeting PC and Xbox Series X|S platforms.
The anticipation for exploring another alien ocean has thus been temporarily overshadowed by a very real-world corporate and legal conflict. How this dispute will ultimately resolve and what impact it may have on the final game remains an open question, adding an unexpected layer of complexity to Subnautica 2`s narrative long before its release.
Callum Darby