John LittleEarlier this year, Krafton removed the heads of Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment. This event sparked a lot of criticism that ultimately led to the aforementioned founders suing Krafton. Now, as court filings are being compiled, more accusations have been unearthed.
The co-founders believe that their removal from their positions was an attempt for Krafton to avoid paying a $250 million bonus dependent on Subnautia 2‘s performance. They allege that Krafton attempted to delay it beyond the bonus deadline, but the founders resisted, and it ultimately led to their removal.
However, the co-founders also claim that their removal began only after a failed attempt from Krafton to renegotiate a smaller bonus. The most interesting claim here is that the publisher’s CEO even consulted ChatGPT to attempt to find a way out of paying the bonus.
This information comes from a pre-trial briefing. Regardless of the outcome, this will be an interesting court case. Subnautica 2 was Steam’s most highly wishlisted game, with a highly anticipated PS5 release. It has been delayed after Krafton took over the studio, and the release window is currently scheduled to 2026.
So, do you agree with the claims of the co-founders? Feel free to comment your thoughts below.