The underwater world of Subnautica might be serene and mysterious, but behind the scenes at its development studio, Unknown Worlds, things appear to be anything but calm. According to a new report from Bloomberg, parent company Krafton’s decision to delay Subnautica 2 into 2026 may have cost the team a massive $250 million bonus, one that the studio’s former leaders had reportedly intended to share with all employees.
Earlier this month, reports surfaced that Krafton had effectively forced out key figures at Unknown Worlds, including Subnautica director Charlie Cleveland, co-founder Max McGuire, and CEO Ted Gill. The timing wasn’t random: these leaders were said to be against delaying Subnautica 2, believing the game was ready to enter early access this year as originally planned.
Cleveland himself publicly stated that he felt the sequel was in good shape for release and wanted to stick to the 2024 roadmap. But Krafton chose otherwise, opting to push the game’s early access window into 2025, with a full release not expected until 2026. That delay, according to Bloomberg, directly impacts a bonus structure that hinged on the game meeting specific revenue goals by the end of 2024, a goal that now seems nearly impossible to hit.
And this wasn’t just a payday for executives. The report says the former leaders of Unknown Worlds planned to distribute the $250 million bonus across the team, sharing the financial win with the people who have been building Subnautica 2 from the ground up. The loss of that potential windfall is understandably a major blow to studio morale.
Adding to the confusion, Steve Papoutsis, who was recently installed as Unknown Worlds’ new CEO, reportedly told staff during a town hall meeting that he hadn’t been informed about the bonus at all, or whether it played a role in the decision to delay the game. That lack of clarity only deepens the sense that the studio is in a state of transition and uncertainty.
Krafton has yet to offer a firm release date for Subnautica 2, nor has it responded publicly to the claims about the lost bonus or the internal leadership changes. But the fallout is already drawing attention from fans and industry watchers alike, especially as Subnautica remains one of the most beloved and unique survival games of the past decade.
As for the sequel, players will now need to wait a little longer to return to the depths, and the developers, it seems, may be left waiting on more than just a release date.
