Krafton Sued by Ousted Subnautica Creators Amidst Development Controversy
Krafton Sued by Ousted Subnautica Creators Amidst Development Controversy
Krafton is preparing to defend itself in court after the former leadership of Unknown Worlds, the studio behind the popular Subnautica series, confirmed they are initiating legal action against the publisher. This lawsuit follows their sudden removal from the studio earlier this month.
The dispute escalated after Krafton replaced key members of Unknown Worlds’ leadership team, including studio founder Charlie Cleveland. This move, which became public last week, generated significant industry backlash. Reports indicate that Cleveland, along with CEO Ted Gill and special projects director Max McGuire, were ‘pushed out’ following Krafton’s decision to delay Subnautica 2’s early access launch from its announced 2025 window to 2026—a move reportedly opposed by the ousted team and potentially jeopardizing a substantial development bonus.
Krafton asserts that its decisions regarding Subnautica 2 were made to ensure the game’s quality and meet fan expectations, stating that a premature release would ‘disappoint players’ and ‘damage reputations.’ A company spokesperson remarked, ‘While we are disappointed that Charlie, Max, and Ted have filed a lawsuit seeking a huge payout, we look forward to defending ourselves in court.’ Krafton maintains its focus on delivering the best possible game to Subnautica fans.
Adding to the controversy, an internal Krafton review document was leaked last weekend, which critically assessed Subnautica 2’s planned early access build for lacking ‘freshness and volume.’ Krafton took the unusual step of publicly confirming the document’s authenticity shortly after its leak, aiming to manage speculation.
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