Krafton has found itself in all manner of hot water as of late, as the parent company and owner of Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds has been facing flak from fans after the game's Early Access launch was delayed until 2026. While that may seem quite normal, a report revealed that up to $250 million was expected to be paid out as a staff bonus if certain financial goals were met by the game by the end of 2025, something that is not at all attainable for a game that won't arrive into the hands of fans. Needless to say, people put two-and-two together and assumed that there was some foul play at hand, although according to Krafton this wasn't the case at all.
In a new statement posted on the publisher's website, Krafton explains that of the $250 million bonus, 90% was to be allocated to the studio's former leadership, and as for why they were recently let go, Krafton explains that they were simply keeping up with their responsibilities as studio heads.
"In addition to the initial $500 million purchase price, we allocated approximately 90% of the up to $250 million earn-out compensation to the three former executives, with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2.
"However, regrettably, the former leadership abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them. Subnautica 2 was originally planned for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed. Krafton made multiple requests to Charlie and Max to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so. In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, Krafton asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project."
Building on this, Krafton explains: "Krafton believes that the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule. The current Early Access version also falls short in terms of content volume. We are deeply disappointed by the former leadership's conduct, and above all, we feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them by our fans."
To make up for this sudden change, Krafton explains that it "deeply respects" the development team made up of a "dedicated core team who share genuine passion, accountability, and commitment to the game." It explains that it will "continue to provide full and unwavering support, enabling them to focus solely on delivering the exceptional game you deserve," and to add to this, Krafton has "committed to fair and equitable compensation for all remaining Unknown Worlds employees who have continuously and tirelessly contributed to Subnautica 2's development."