Krafton's latest narrative, according to former Subnautica 2 leadership, appears to be a drastic turnaround midway through legal proceedings over their dismissal of the founders

Krafton allegedly shifted its stance to a fresh theory, claimed to have been developed post facto

, and ASMedia

2025 September 23 . 5:54 PM

2 min read

In a bold move, ex-leaders of the Subnautica 2 studio claim that Krafton, the game's publisher, has... — In a bold move, ex-leaders of the Subnautica 2 studio claim that Krafton, the game's publisher, has adjusted its reasons for discounting the studio founders during a legal dispute.

Krafton's latest narrative, according to former Subnautica 2 leadership, appears to be a drastic turnaround midway through legal proceedings over their dismissal of the founders

In a surprising turn of events, the legal drama involving Subnautica 2, Unknown Worlds, and Krafton continues to unfold. The dispute began when the former leadership trio of Unknown Worlds, consisting of Chaim Gillepsie, Jeremiah Reynolds, and Charlie Cleveland, filed a lawsuit against Krafton.

According to Krafton, the trio wanted to self-publish the game without its help, leading to their termination. However, the former leadership alleges that Krafton's new theory about their termination is that they backed up files they were entitled to access in their work for Unknown Worlds.

Krafton has accused the trio of attempting to demand a multimillion-dollar payday without justification. The new CEO of Subnautica 2 studio Unknown Worlds, Steve Papoutsis, has expressed disappointment over fans planning a boycott of Subnautica 2, stating, "Wow... That's very disappointing."

The court has dismissed Krafton's request for a forensic inspection and has also denied an order asking for preservation in the case. The court filing states that Krafton's new theory about the termination is not supported, as the downloads could not have been the motivation for termination.

The court has also dismissed Krafton's allegations of the trio secretly downloading massive amounts of confidential information from Unknown Worlds. The two sides in the case are now expected to meet.

It is suspected that Krafton shifted control in the ongoing legal dispute after firing the three founders of Unknown Worlds because the fired executives accused Krafton of sabotaging the game to avoid paying a $250,000 bonus; simultaneously, Unknown Worlds is suing the former leaders for allegedly stealing confidential data, damaging the studio's reputation, and causing delays.

The new court filing describes Krafton's new theory about the termination of the Unknown Worlds leadership as a "disorganized retreat." The delay in the release of Subnautica 2 has been extended to 2026. The legal drama surrounding Subnautica 2 and Unknown Worlds continues, with both parties presenting their arguments in court.