Subnautica 2 launched into Early Access yesterday – but the story of how it got there involves a fired CEO, a court battle, and a publisher who allegedly used ChatGPT to plan a hostile takeover. The game is out. The drama is very much ongoing.
What Happened With Krafton and Unknown Worlds
In July 2025, Krafton – the South Korean publisher that owns Unknown Worlds Entertainment – abruptly fired the studio’s CEO Ted Gill, along with founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire. The justification? Krafton claimed the trio were planning to release Subnautica 2 too early and that the game was so unfinished it risked causing “irreversible harm to the entire IP franchise.”
But the situation got a lot stranger when court documents revealed that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim had allegedly consulted ChatGPT for advice on how to draft the hostile takeover strategy, internally dubbed “Project X.” That detail alone made headlines well beyond the gaming world.
The real motive, many suspected, had to do with money. Krafton had promised a $250 million earn-out bonus to Unknown Worlds tied to Subnautica 2’s commercial success. With the game approaching a potentially lucrative launch window, the fired executives argued the timing was not a coincidence.
A Judge Steps In
The story took another dramatic turn just days before launch when a judge ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds. The court also extended the $250 million earnout window by nine months, giving the studio until at least September 15, 2026 to hit its targets. It was a significant legal victory for the Unknown Worlds team.
Notably, Krafton’s name has since been quietly removed from the Subnautica 2 Steam page, though the company says it is still “supporting the early access launch” and that Unknown Worlds remains a Krafton subsidiary. As Game Developer put it, “it’s going to be extremely hard to repair the relationship.”
So What Is Subnautica 2 Actually Like?
Amid all the corporate chaos, there is an actual game. Subnautica 2 launched on May 14 via Steam Early Access and Xbox Game Preview at $29.99 USD. Players who purchase before May 25 receive a Reaper Leviathan in-game base decoration as a bonus.
The sequel is set on an all-new alien ocean planet, with larger environments, new creatures, and expanded exploration mechanics. The biggest addition for series veterans is four-player co-op – the first time multiplayer has been part of a Subnautica game. Unknown Worlds has also brought back a feature originally cut from the first game: DNA modification, which lets players acquire abilities by splicing alien biology.
Xbox Series X|S players can access the game through Game Pass on day one via Game Preview.
What Comes Next
The legal dispute is far from settled. The fired executives had previously tried to withdraw a claim that Krafton violated a court order by announcing Subnautica 2’s release date, but that only added another layer to an already complicated situation. With a $250 million bonus on the line and a strained relationship between publisher and developer, the months ahead are likely to generate more headlines – and hopefully, more of a good game.
