Subnautica 2: Delay and dispute over $250 million!

Subnautica 2: Delay and dispute over $250 million!

The waves are making waves in the world of video games: the release of Subnautica 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the popular game, has now been delayed until 2026. This crucial turn of events was announced by meinbezirk.at. Publisher Krafton has decided to overrule developer Unknown Worlds' plans, causing confusion in the community.

Rumors of internal problems have emerged since the delay was announced. Krafton has fired three Unknown Worlds executives, citing their perceived failures as responsible for its current difficulties. The ex-employees accuse the publisher of deliberately sabotaging the publication in order to avoid a bonus payment of $250 million that was agreed upon during the takeover in 2021. This information comes from a lawsuit now filed against Krafton in Delaware Chancery Court, as Kotaku reports.

Internal turmoil and legal disputes

The lawsuit filed by Unknown Worlds founders Charles Cleveland, Adam “Max” McGuire and Edward “Ted” Gill alleges that Krafton failed to abide by its acquisition agreements. These prohibit the publisher from firing the founders without good reason or from interfering in the studio's operations. Particularly explosive: The problems apparently arose when the sales forecasts for Subnautica 2 indicated that the bonus targets would be achieved. The accusation is clear: Krafton is said to have focused on a delay instead of successfully launching the game.

The dispute over bonuses and the systematic interventions in development have divided the community. While some players are criticizing the additional issues surrounding the release and calling for boycotts, there is also plenty of support for the development team as it prepares to overcome the challenges with Subnautica 2.

The future of Subnautica 2

Despite the conflicts that have arisen, hope for a solid title remains. It is reported that Subnautica 2 is already very advanced and robust for an early access title. Krafton has also announced plans to expand its sales target range for 2026, which could allow employees to receive significant bonuses of up to $25 million if sales targets are met.

Krafton's acquisition of Unknown Worlds may have been a strategic move to expand its gaming portfolio, but similar scenarios such as those seen in the merger of Blizzard and Activision or Microsoft's acquisition of Bethesda also show the dark side of such deals. Balancing economic pressures and creative autonomy remains an ongoing challenge in the games industry. Impressions of this are provided by [vrkttr.de](https://www.vrkttr.de/blog/64-Die_Rolle_von_unternehmensbernahme_in_der_ Spieleindustrie_Der_Fall_Bethesda_und_Blizzard.html), which points to the possible dilution of creative visions through corporate takeovers.

Subnautica 2's final release date is now officially set for 2026, and while fans are still hoping for news, it remains to be seen how the legal disputes and internal conflicts will impact the game's development.