Crafton has lastly ended a year-long authorized battle with its Unknown Worlds subsidiary, agreeing to a settlement with the studio’s co-founders that may see bonuses paid to all workers following the movie’s success. subnautica 2.
In July 2025, the connection between writer Krafton and developer Unknown World exploded when CEO Ted Gill and different senior workers have been fired. Crafton’s deal to publish Subnautica 2 included a gross sales goal that may have triggered a $250 million fee to Unknown Worlds, one thing the corporate reportedly needed to keep away from. It was speculated that this was why the Survival Video games have been postponed from 2025 to Might 2026, and why Gill and different senior workers have been fired.
Mr. Gill and his fired workers members responded by submitting a lawsuit in opposition to Crafton, alleging that Crafton terminated their employment to keep away from paying charges. The decide within the case agreed and reinstated the fired individuals after testimony alleging that Crafton CEO Chang-Han Kim used ChatGPT to brainstorm methods to keep away from massive payouts.
Following claims that Crafton can be compelled to pay a $250 million payment as a result of success of Subnautica 2, Bloomberg now stories that Crafton and Unknown World have reached a authorized settlement that may see all staff obtain bonuses and finish the authorized course of.
In an interview with Jason Schreier, Gill mentioned the event crew will probably be paid “considerably extra” than in Krafton’s preliminary acquisition deal in 2021 and may have “additional incentives” all through the sport’s lifecycle. Whereas the unique settlement included funds solely to Unknown World executives, the brand new settlement contains everybody who works on the firm.
As a part of the settlement, Ted Gill will depart the corporate simply 4 months after his dramatic return. He claims that he and Crafton “mutually agreed to half methods” and that Gill felt “new management is the easiest way for the studio to maneuver ahead.” The report means that Unknown World’s subsequent CEO will probably be appointed from exterior each firms.
In response to Unknown Worlds, Subnautica 2 was an enormous success, promoting over 4 million copies. The sport remains to be in early entry, with a full launch and additional updates deliberate for the long run.
