Subnautica 2 delay allegedly motivated by potential bonus payments

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Title Postponement of Subnautica 2 to 2026 is No Surprise – Delays are Common, Especially for the Benefit of the Final Product. However, in this instance, the cause might not be the usual reasons like game quality or development stage.

According to a Bloomberg report, it’s claimed that KRAFTON, the publisher, compelled Unknown Worlds (acquired in 2021) to postpone the release of their game until next year. This supposed move was allegedly made to dodge paying a significant bonus to Unknown Worlds’ team if they met specific revenue targets this year – which would be challenging without a new game release.

Because the studio has approximately 100 employees, this bonus plan that’s rumored to be valued at about $250 million USD would potentially benefit every employee significantly.

The report reshaped the recent leadership dismissal from Unknown Worlds by KRAFTON, suggesting a connection between the publisher’s desire for a delay in the game and the studio’s founders pushing for a release this year. In fact, one of them, Charlie Cleveland, expressed on social media after being forced out that the game was prepared to enter Early Access as initially planned.

Krafton argued that the postponement of Subnautica 2 wasn’t due to any contractual obligations. Instead, they internally contended that the game didn’t have enough content to maintain player engagement, despite having a solid base to build upon.

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2025-07-10 10:16