The legal battle between Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica, and publisher Krafton has ended in favor of the developers after the huge success of Subnautica 2. Following the game’s record-breaking Early Access launch, Krafton has reportedly agreed to pay the full $250 million bonus promised in the original acquisition deal.
If you’re not aware, Subnautica 2 became a huge success almost immediately, selling four million copies in just five days and reached over 467,000 players at the same time on Steam. The original deal said that once Unknown Worlds made more than $69.8 million in monthly revenue, Krafton would have to pay $3.12 for every $1 earned, up to a limit of $250 million, and the game passed that target very quickly.
Back in 2021, Krafton bought Unknown Worlds for $500 million upfront, while promising another $250 million if performance targets were reached later. However, things changed in July 2025, when Krafton CEO Changhan Kim reportedly looked for ways to avoid paying the huge bonus. He ignored advice from the company’s legal team and instead consulted ChatGPT to come up with a strategy.
Soon after, Krafton suddenly removed original studio co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max Maguire, along with CEO Ted Gill. The developers were reportedly locked out of their own Steam publishing accounts, while the game itself was delayed to 2026, which would have allowed the bonus deadline to expire.
The fired developers then sued Krafton. In March, the Delaware Chancery Court ruled strongly against the publisher. The court restored Ted Gill as CEO, returned operational control of the studio, and extended the bonus eligibility deadline until September 15.
Now, because Subnautica 2 performed so strongly, Krafton is legally required to make the payment. Around 90% of the $250 million, roughly $225 million, will reportedly go directly to the original founders. The remaining 10%, around $25 million, is expected to be shared among the studio’s nearly 100 developers, with individual bonuses ranging from six to seven figures. In addition, the reinstated leadership has promised to share part of their own payouts with the rest of the development team. For more Subnautica 2 related coverage, keep checking GameObserver.
