Krafton has responded to a lawsuit filed by former Unknown Worlds executives, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire, who alleged the South Korean publisher undermined Subnautica 2's release to avoid paying bonuses. Krafton claims the executives lost interest in the game's development after the studio's acquisition and pursued other projects. Cleveland shifted to film work, McGuire to non-development initiatives, and Gill focused on maximizing earnout payments rather than game progress. This lack of leadership led to delays, with the early access launch covering only 12% of the intended game scope by March 2025. The executives were dismissed after disagreeing about delaying early access, triggering the ongoing Delaware Chancery Court battle.
