Subnautica 2 Drama: Krafton Accuses Ex-Leads of Abandoning Ship, Lawsuit Ensues – Bloody Hell!
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
Krafton and the ex-leaders of *Subnautica 2* developers Unknown Worlds are in a serious spat, with accusations flying and a lawsuit dropping quicker than a hardcore gamer rage-quitting. Seems the only thing getting drowned in this situation is the future of Subnautica 2.
Right, buckle up, because the deep-sea diving just got a whole lot deeper. Apparently, the publishers behind *Subnautica 2*, Krafton (yep, the *PUBG* lot), are pointing the finger at the recently ousted bosses, accusing them of bailing on their duties and causing the game's delay. But hold your seahorses, because those ex-leads, including Unknown Worlds co-founder Charlie Cleveland, have slapped Krafton with a lawsuit. Drama, much?
According to a report that originally surfaced over at Rock Paper Shotgun, this whole shebang kicked off earlier this month when Striking Distance CEO Steve Papoutsis was parachuted in to replace Cleveland, fellow co-founder Max McGuire, and CEO Ted Gill. It's been a war of words ever since. Krafton's statement claims the delay happened just before a juicy $250 million bonus was about to be paid out to the Unknown Worlds team. The claim is about 90% of that bonus was earmarked for the three departed leads, expecting them to, you know, actually lead. Krafton claims Cleveland and McGuire were asked to step back into their old roles as game director and technical director but refused. Ouch.
Krafton says the absence of leadership caused “repeated confusion” and “significant delays”. They did throw in a line about being committed to “fair and equitable compensation” for the *remaining* employees, though didn't outright say the bonus was still on the table. Sounds a bit dodgy, doesn't it?
Charlie Cleveland, however, isn't taking it lying down. He took to the *Subnautica* subreddit (bless the internet) to announce the lawsuit. Cleveland stated that the game was ready for early access and made it clear he would never willingly abandon *Subnautica* or the team. He also addressed the bonus situation, stating that the idea he, Max, and Ted wanted to hog the money was "totally untrue." They've historically shared profits with the team and intend to continue doing so.
So, what does it all mean? Well, it seems like this is just the beginning of a long and messy legal battle. It is an explosive and surreal time for the Subnautica team and community.
Frankly, it's a bit of a mess. We'll be keeping an eye on this one, because who doesn't love a good gaming industry drama? The only ones suffering are the fans waiting to dive back into the watery depths of *Subnautica*.
Tags: Subnautica, Krafton, Game Development, Lawsuit, Gaming Industry
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun