Krafton, the parent company of both Subnautica and its sequel’s developer Unknown Worlds, has reportedly pushed the release of Subnautica 2 from its original 2025 release window to 2026. This delay comes amid claims that Krafton may be seeking to avoid paying a massive $250 million bonus to the developers. 
According to a Bloomberg report, Unknown Worlds’ team was supposed to receive the bonus if they hit specific revenue targets by the end of 2025. These goals were expected to be easily met if Subnautica 2 was launched by the end of 2025.
However, with the reported delay, the developers are now concerned that they won’t reach those targets, thus missing out on the bonus. This follows the abrupt departure of the studio’s leadership, including founders Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire, who were replaced by Steve Papoutsis, former head of Striking Distance Studios. Krafton announced the leadership change but did not clarify why the founders left. In their statement, Krafton emphasized their commitment to delivering the best possible experience for gamers and ensuring Subnautica 2 would be the game fans are expecting.
Despite this, the founders of Unknown Worlds were reportedly shocked by the events, with Cleveland sharing his farewell on Reddit, expressing his disappointment in not being able to see the project through as planned. According to Cleveland, the team believed the game was ready for early access, but the decision ultimately rested with Krafton. The delay announcement was followed by a town hall meeting, where Steve Papoutsis addressed the team and stated that Krafton felt Subnautica 2 wasn’t ready for early access and needed more content. When asked about the possibility that the delay was related to avoiding the bonus payment, Papoutsis gave a vague response, expressing a lack of knowledge on the specifics of the contract between Krafton and Unknown Worlds. He emphasized that the goal was to ensure the best version of the game for early access, despite the progress already made by the team.
In 2021, Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds for an undisclosed amount, reportedly around $500 million. Subnautica 2 was announced for early access in October 2024, with a planned 2025 release and an eventual launch on Xbox Game Pass.