"Fearing he had agreed to a 'pushover' contract, Krafton's CEO consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate 'takeover' strategy." That line, written by Delaware judge Lori Will in her ruling against Krafton, might be the most damning sentence written about a game publisher in years. And yet, despite everything, Subnautica 2 is here.
The survival sequel from Unknown Worlds Entertainment launches in early access on May 14, arriving as Steam's most-wishlisted game with over 5 million wishlists accumulated. For context, Black Myth: Wukong dominated Steam wishlist charts heading into its own launch and set a benchmark for what high-anticipation releases can achieve. Subnautica 2 is operating at that same level of pre-launch heat, which makes the backstory even wilder.
How a $250 million bonus set everything on fire
The trouble started in July 2025, when Krafton abruptly fired Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill and founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire. The publisher's initial justification was that the trio had been planning to release Subnautica 2 too early, and that the game was so unfinished it risked causing "irreversible harm to the entire IP franchise."
That claim raised immediate eyebrows. The studio had been preparing major media coverage for Subnautica 2 as recently as June 2025, only to abruptly cancel those plans without explanation. A game that was apparently ready for a major feature one month and catastrophically broken the next stretched credibility.
The lawsuit brought by the fired studio heads filled in the blanks. Krafton had promised a $250 million earn-out bonus tied to Subnautica 2's commercial performance, part of which was set to be shared with studio staff. With the game sitting atop Steam's wishlist charts and looking like a genuine hit, Krafton CEO Changhan Kim apparently got cold feet.
Here's the thing: rather than consulting lawyers or business advisors, Kim turned to ChatGPT. He sent a message to Krafton's head of corporate development relaying that the chatbot had told him it would be "difficult to cancel the earn-out." Krafton initially denied Kim had used ChatGPT at all. He later testified under oath that he had, explaining he used it "to get faster answers."
The court case that flipped everything
Krafton's legal argument shifted over time. The original "game wasn't ready" claim gave way to accusations that Gill and the founders had "abandoned" their roles and taken confidential company data. Judge Will addressed both points directly in her ruling.
On the limited roles: the trial showed Krafton had already been aware of and accepted Cleveland and McGuire's reduced involvement before the firings. On the data backup: the judge found they had copied files after being terminated, specifically to protect the studio's work during what she characterized as a corporate takeover attempt. She also noted, pointedly, that you cannot fire someone "for cause" based on actions that occurred after the termination.
The ruling ordered Krafton to reinstate Gill as Unknown Worlds CEO and extended the deadline for the studio to hit the $250 million earn-out target by 9 months.
Krafton complied, though the relationship remained strained. The publisher announced a May early access release window for Subnautica 2 before Gill had even resumed control of the studio. He publicly objected to the announcement, calling it news to him. The date stuck anyway.
Unknown Worlds' ocean sequel
What players are actually getting on May 14
Krafton's name has since been removed from the Subnautica 2 Steam page, though the company confirmed it is still "supporting the early access launch" and Unknown Worlds remains a Krafton subsidiary. The cosmetic change is notable mostly as a signal of how toxic the association had become.
As for the game itself, Unknown Worlds has been clear that this is a genuine early access release, not a finished product. The studio estimates it will take two to three years to reach version 1.0. The roadmap includes additional biomes, new creatures, expanded crafting systems, narrative content, and ongoing optimization based on player feedback.
Founder Cleveland, for his part, said after being fired that Subnautica 2 was already ready for early access and he was baffled by Krafton's claims to the contrary. The dev team has described a difficult year, with the design lead noting the community's support kept them going "when it was at its hardest."
The original Subnautica built one of the most devoted fanbases in the RPG games and survival genre space, and the sequel carries that weight. Five million wishlists represents a massive audience that has been watching this saga play out for nearly a year.
If you want to get ahead of launch day, our Black Myth: Wukong guides collection is a good reminder of how quickly a highly-anticipated game can reward players who go in prepared. Subnautica 2's early access period will reward the same kind of patient, curious exploration that made the first game a classic.
