The drama surrounding Subnautica 2 just took a wild turn. After the game’s release was delayed to 2026, developer Unknown Worlds has officially filed a lawsuit against its publisher, Krafton—setting off a heated legal battle between the two companies.
Krafton, best known for games like inZOI and PUBG, partnered with Unknown Worlds to bring the highly anticipated sequel to life. Originally, fans and insiders expected Subnautica 2 to launch sometime in 2025, but that window has now been pushed to 2026—allegedly costing the development team hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
Things got even messier when Unknown Worlds’ co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, along with CEO Ted Gill, were suddenly fired. Not long after, Cleveland took to the Subnautica subreddit to shed some light, confirming that the delay was Krafton’s call. “It was ready for early access release,” he said, “but the decision is in Krafton’s hands.”
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Legal Battle Begins
The situation has now escalated beyond public statements. Charlie Cleveland announced via Reddit that Unknown Worlds has filed a lawsuit against Krafton. “The details should eventually become (at least mostly) public – you all deserve the full story,” he wrote. “Suing a multi-billion-dollar company in a painful, public, and possibly protracted way was certainly not on my bucket list. But this needs to be made right.”
He added, “Subnautica has been my life’s work, and I would never willingly abandon it or the amazing team that has poured their hearts into it.”
Krafton, meanwhile, released its own statement pointing fingers back at the former leadership. According to them, Subnautica 2’s delay was due to “repeated confusion in direction” and that “the former leadership abandoned responsibilities entrusted to them.”
What’s Next?
The details of the lawsuit haven’t been fully revealed yet, but this battle is far from over. With both sides telling very different stories, fans are left wondering not just when they’ll get their hands on Subnautica 2, but what shape the game will be in when it finally arrives.
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