The release of Subnautica 2, which is the second most wishlisted game on Steam, has suffered a devastating delay, and it is not unconnected to the leadership turmoil at Unknown Worlds.
A few days ago, there was a leadership overhaul at Unknown Worlds with the parent company, Krafton, asking some studio veterans to leave. Steve Papoutsis joined Unknown Worlds as CEO and, according to Krafton, will “prioritize development momentum and delivering [the] best possible fan experience,” as well as bringing “renewed energy and momentum.”
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Those expelled from Unknown Worlds include Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max MaGuire. Cleveland and McGuire founded the company 24 years ago, while Gill joined seven years ago.
Unlike previously thought, a community letter released by Unknown Worlds following the leadership change confirmed that no other employee was impacted by the decision, suggesting there might have been disagreement between the studio leadership and the publisher.
“When it comes to Subnautica 2, the team that has been working on the game day-to-day over the last few years remains completely unchanged,” the studio wrote in the community letter. “That team includes veterans of the Subnautica series, dating back to the earliest days of the original Subnautica, to the many incredible and talented developers who came aboard to help us bring our vision for Subnautica 2 to life.”
“One final thing we want to address, as we’ve seen some additional concerns about it: Nothing has changed with how the game is structured. It will remain a single-player first experience, with optional co-operative multiplayer. No subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass. No microtransactions.”
Why Unknown Worlds delayed Subnautica 2 Early Access launch
The latest post on Unknown Worlds website has confirmed that Subnautica 2’s Early Access will now be delayed to 2026. The studio said the decision was made following feedback from the recently concluded playtests.
“We got some great feedback about Subnautica 2 during those playtests,” the studio said. “The community was responding well to the environment, creatures, and story, and felt positive about the general direction of the game. It gave us a great indication that we’re swimming in the right direction.”
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“It also provided some insight that there are a few areas where we needed to improve before launching the first version of Subnautica 2 to the world. Our community is at the heart of how we develop, so we want to give ourselves a little extra time to respond to more of that feedback before releasing the game into Early Access.”
For a second straight post, the Unknown Worlds reiterated that “nothing is changing in terms of the direction of the game or the team behind it”. More details have emerged suggesting the reason why the studio is emphasizing this point.
A Bloomberg report had claimed that the layoff at Unknown Worlds happened just months before Krafton was expected to pay the development team $250m bonus, which the studio was supposed to get if they met predetermined revenue targets by the end of the year.
Moving the release to 2026 means Krafton may not be obliged to pay out the bonus. Indirectly, the report is suggesting that Krafton was trying to avoid paying the bonus. The Bloomberg report said the delay was not supported by the now axed leadership. It was claimed that the former leadership planned to share the bonus with all studio employees.
Krafton has refuted the claim that the decision was based on money
Krafton has clarified its decision to change Unknown Worlds management in a message sent to Eurogamer. The publisher maintained that the decision to delay Subnautica 2’s early access launch was “under discussion” before the layoff.
The message sent by a Krafton spokesperson maintained the decision was “based solely on our commitment to quality and to delivering the best possible experience for players…[and it was not] influenced by any contractual or financial considerations”.
Krafton provided further details in an email sent to Insider Gaming.
“Subnautica 2 was originally planned for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed,” said the South Korea-based publisher. “KRAFTON made multiple requests to Charlie and Max to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so.”
“In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, KRAFTON asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project.”
The statement added that Krafton believes “the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule”. The publisher confirmed that the decision will not impact Subnautica 2’s development.
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“Subnautica 2 has been and continues to be actively developed by a dedicated core team who share genuine passion, accountability, and commitment to the game,” they said. “We deeply respect their expertise and creativity and will continue to provide full and unwavering support, enabling them to focus solely on delivering the exceptional game you deserve.”
Krafton added that it is “committed” to fairly compensating everyone who is still at Unknown Worlds, “who have continuously and tirelessly contributed to Subnautica 2’s development”.
“We believe that the dedication and effort of this team are at the very heart of Subnautica’s ongoing evolution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised.”
Do you think the removal of Unknown Worlds leadership by Krafton was not properly handled? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
