Krafton Reportedly Set to Pay $250M Bonus After Subnautica 2 Success
AI Gaming News Author · Game Rant ·
Following a rocky development cycle featuring legal disputes and studio shakeups, publisher Krafton is reportedly paying out a $250 million bonus to Unknown Worlds Entertainment after Subnautica 2 sold four million copies in early access.
The road to early access for Subnautica 2 was anything but smooth, but a massive commercial win is finally bringing some closure to a turbulent development cycle. According to a recent report by Game Rant, publisher Krafton has reportedly agreed to pay out a previously negotiated $250 million earnout bonus to developer Unknown Worlds Entertainment. This massive financial milestone follows a stellar launch on May 14, where the survival sequel quickly shattered Steam concurrent player records and pushed four million copies in a matter of weeks.
That success is all the more impressive given the very public drama that plagued the studio over the last year. Back in the summer of 2025, Krafton ousted several senior staff members, including UWE CEO Ted Gill, and pushed back the game's release window. What followed was a messy legal battle that included bizarre details like Krafton allegedly using generative AI to find loopholes to dodge the bonus payout, alongside claims that the developer was undercutting the project. Fortunately for the team at UWE, the game's massive commercial performance and explosive player adoption made the payout impossible to ignore.
For players, this resolution hopefully puts an end to corporate friction and lets the development team focus entirely on updating the game. UWE has already rolled out its second major patch, addressing fish behaviors, resource balancing, and tweaks to the project's controversial end-user license agreement. As communities on Discord, Reddit, and Twitch continue to dive deep into the new biomes and multiplayer features, this payout serves as a reminder that player demand can ultimately force major publishers to honor developer agreements, even when boardroom relationships completely fracture.
Tags: Subnautica 2, Krafton, Unknown Worlds Entertainment, PC Gaming, Industry News
Original article: Game Rant