Krafton Reportedly Delaying Subnautica 2 To Avoid Paying $250 Million In Developer Bonuses

Expert Verified By

Currently The 2nd Most Wishlisted Game On Steam!

Story Highlight
  • A new report claims that Krafton delayed Subnautica 2 into 2026 to avoid paying $250 million in developer bonuses.
  • Unknown Worlds Studio also recently faced a leadership change, with the former founders and CFO being fired.
  • Krafton promised the bonus if the studio could achieve revenue goals by the end of 2025, which would be possible with the release of Subnautica 2.

Krafton has been a notable player in the gaming industry, known for its developer acquisitions throughout Asia. One of their notable acquisitions was Unknown Worlds Entertainment following the release of the highly acclaimed indie title Subnautica.

Seven years after the first title’s release, Unknown Worlds Entertainment is finally ready to release the sequel, which has unexpectedly been delayed. One report claims that publisher Krafton delayed the title to avoid paying $250 million as developer bonuses.

Why it matters: Unknown Worlds Entertainment has worked hard to get to this position from an indie dev. Krafton stealing away their hard work is very unethical for such a highly regarded company.

The Callisto protocol
The Callisto Protocol Failed Due To Its Gameplay, Says Krafton CEO

This report comes from Bloomberg. Leadership at Unknown Worlds Entertainment witnessed a shift last week, with Striking Distance Studio’s CEO assuming control.

Subanautica 2 was then delayed to 2026, which was against the former leadership’s wishes, who claimed that the game was ready to go.

The $250 million in bonuses was promised to Unknown Worlds Studio if they hit a certain revenue target by the end of 2025, which would be achievable by releasing Subnautica 2. Hence, this is why Krafton delayed the game without any cause.

The previous leadership at Unknown Worlds Studio planned to share the bonus with 100 employees, with some of them set to receive pay in six or even seven figures.

Hi-Fi Rush
Hi-Fi Rush 2 Will Be A Failure, Says Krafton

However, any hopes of bonuses are now down the drain after the studio’s founders and CFO were fired due to a leadership change.

The current CEO claims that Krafton wasn’t confident in Subnautica 2’s release this year. Furthermore, he also denied the above claims that this leadership change and delay were to avoid paying bonuses.

What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know in the comments below, or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

A New Third-Person Lord of the Rings Game Is in Development to Rival Hogwarts Legacy

A brand-new third-person action Lord of the Rings game is now in development, reportedly competing with Hogwarts Legacy.

PlayStation Reportedly Introducing Removable Batteries With New DualSense Controller Revision

PlayStation is reportedly gearing up to introduce the third revision for its DualSense controller, and major changes are on the way.

New PS5 Slim Model Cuts Corners On Storage And The Heatsink To Maintain Price

Sony has reduced storage and decreased the size of the heatsink in the new revised PS5 Slim consoles to lower manufacturing costs.

Microsoft & Asus Allegedly Tried to Lower ROG Ally X Price After Fan Backlash — But Plans Collapsed

Microsoft and Asus were allegedly tried to aim for a lower price tag for its flagship ROG Ally X handheld during Gamescom, but plans failed.

Electronic Arts to Go Private in $50 Billion Shock Deal With Saudi Arabia

A Saudi Arabian investment group has made $50 billion investment in Electronic Arts converting it into private company.