Kamal Ghorui
The legal case against Subnautica 2 has reached a turning point, and it is one that heavily favours the developers in this case. A ruling against Krafton has been made, and it is one that not only condemns the actions of the publisher in question but also calls for several remedies to be made. This includes the restoration of the leadership positions at Unknown Worlds Entertainment and ensuring that a proposed $250 million bonus is still in effect, as reported by Reuters. This case has garnered a lot of attention in the gaming world and has sparked a number of questions about what this means in terms of publishers and developers.
Subnautica 2 leadership shake-up sparks $250 million bonus controversy
In 2025, the legal controversy began when Ted Gill and several other senior team members were removed from their positions. The statement came from Krafton that there were issues in the delay that led to the leadership failures. The company presented the move as necessary to keep the project on track and protect its long-term success.The developers strongly disagreed with that explanation. Gill and his colleagues argued that their removal appeared to be strategically timed. They claimed it was connected to a major financial milestone tied to the game’s early access launch. According to their lawsuit, the studio was approaching conditions that would have triggered a $250 million earnout bonus, and their dismissal may have been intended to avoid that payment.
Court questions Krafton’s motives
The judge noted that the company’s focus was centred on minimising financial risks rather than resolving performance issues. The judgment noted that the company had been seeking a reason for the removal of the top management. The judgment also noted the company’s internal discussions and plans. The removal of leadership was identified as one of the approaches considered during this process. This interpretation played a significant role in shaping the outcome of the case.
Subnautica 2 milestone bonus drives legal showdown with Krafton
The centre of the dispute is the earnout bonus, which has been one of the more discussed elements of the case. The earnout bonus was based on the development milestones and the release schedule for the early access version. Such arrangements are common in game development deals, especially for larger-scale game development contracts. The game developers had contended that they were almost at the stage of meeting the conditions. They had argued that the development of Subnautica 2 had reached an advanced stage where the earnout bonus was possible. The court’s decision on the earnout bonus suggests that this contention had some merit.
What were the claims and allegations about the Subnautica 2 case
The case attracted attention not only because of its financial scale but also due to the unusual claims raised during the proceedings. As per the reports by Reuters, one allegation suggested that Changhan Kim had used ChatGPT to explore ways of avoiding the bonus payout. While this detail generated significant interest, its exact influence on the ruling remains unclear.There were also counterclaims from Krafton, including allegations about internal conduct and references to remarks involving Korean culture.
