The delay of Subnautica 2 has been the primary driver of the dispute between former Unknown Worlds senior leadership Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire, and mega-publisher Krafton, which purchased the studio back in 2021.

Reports indicate that Krafton, the South Korean parent of PUBG, recently restructured the management of Subnautica 2's dev team to avoid a hefty payout.

Krafton accuses former Unknown Worlds leadership of abandoning Subnautica 2, escalating a bitter dispute over bonuses, delays, and trust.

Since the report, Krafton has released a testy statement on the Subnautica 2 ordeal. “We are deeply disappointed by the former leadership’s conduct, and above all, we feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them by our fans,” a Krafton representative told Polygon.

Per Krafton, the three removed executives allegedly would have been eligible for 90% of the $250 million bonus promised to staff.

The game's developers were reportedly in line for a $250 million bonus if they had met certain revenue goals this year.

Subnautica 2's increasingly messy saga has taken another dramatic turn. Developer Unknown Worlds' ousted leaders have announced legal action against Krafton after the publisher shared a statement accusing the former employees of 'abandoning' the underwater survival sequel.