There will be no Early Access release for Subnautica 2 this year. Instead, Krafton - the parent company of Unknown Worlds - has decided to push the launch to next year. On the surface, that might not sound like a big deal, but underneath the calm waters, anger is bubbling among the developers. Not only were the founding members recently ousted from leadership, but this delay also crushes any hopes of a $250 million staff bonus.
That bonus was tied to the team hitting specific revenue targets before the end of this year. With the delay, it's almost certain those targets won't be met, which means the nearly 100 employees are likely to miss out on the pay-out entirely. The former leadership claims the game was ready for Early Access, while Krafton insists the delay was needed to add more content.
Krafton also claims that the delay had nothing to do with any contractual bonuses, but critics - including fans and anonymous sources - suspect otherwise. Online, many are calling it "an all-time scumbag move," and fans are rallying with demands that the team should still receive their $250 million bonus.
What are your thoughts? Corporate scumbaggery at its worst?