Subnautica 2 Delayed to Complete Solving $250 Million Bonus Issue

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Update: 07/09/2025 10:20 PM EST – Krafton and Unknown Worlds have officially postponed Subnautica 2’s Early Access release to 2026, stating they need “a little extra time” to consider community feedback. The original story follows.

This week, Krafton shook things up by replacing the co-founders of developer Unknown Worlds. Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire are out, with Striking Distance Studios CEO Steve Papoutsis stepping in. Krafton said they tried to retain all three, but changes were necessary.

Krafton initially tried to reassure long-time fans that the game’s direction wouldn’t change with the new leadership. However, they later announced through Kotaku that “some adjustments to the schedule may be required,” hinting at a delay.

A significant question remains about why the three co-founders were removed. There hasn’t been an official statement from either side yet, but a report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier might provide some answers.

Subnautica 2 Delayed to Avoid $250 Million Bonus Payout

According to Schreier, Krafton has delayed Subnautica 2 to 2026, despite protests from Unknown Worlds’ former leaders. The delay reportedly comes just before Krafton was set to pay the studio a $250 million bonus, which would have been given if Unknown Worlds reached a specific revenue goal by the end of 2025 as part of the deal when Krafton acquired them in 2021.

Former leaders at Unknown Worlds had planned to distribute this $250 million bonus among their development team, which consists of around 100 members. With Subnautica 2 now pushed to 2026, it seems unlikely they will meet the revenue target, denying the team potential bonuses worth millions of dollars.

There is also debate about whether Subnautica 2 truly needs to be delayed. Last week, Unknown Worlds co-founder Charlie Cleveland shared a heartfelt post on Reddit, stating the game is “ready for early access release,” indicating that the decision might be less about the game and more about the bonus situation.