The release of the newest Subnautica 2 trailer has faced significant challenges for Unknown Worlds and its parent company, Krafton. Instead of appreciating the new visuals, fans are concentrating on the forced departures of Unknown Worlds' leadership team and a following report suggesting that the delay of Subnautica 2 might lead the team at Unknown Worlds to miss out on a promised $250 million bonus. This situation has prompted some players to call for a boycott of Subnautica 2, which has resulted in a revealing statement from Krafton asserting that the "inevitable leadership change [was] driven by project abandonment."

According to Bloomberg, the entire Unknown Worlds team was reportedly set to receive a portion of a $250 million bonus if the company achieved its financial targets by 2025. These targets may have been contingent upon Subnautica 2 launching in early-access this year. A user on Reddit argues, "This delay is merely so [Krafton doesn't] have to pay those bonuses. They've already profited $250 million by misleading developers. Don't let them gain more."

The Reddit post was initially locked and has since been removed by moderators of the Subnautica subreddit. It had gathered over 45,000 upvotes.

Charlie Cleveland—one of the recently dismissed founders of Unknown Worlds—has declared that Subnautica 2 is ready for an early-access release. However, he noted that the decision now rests with Krafton, with the new plan being to release Subnautica 2 on Xbox Series X|S and PC in 2026.

Following an initial, vague statement attempting to clarify the recent actions, Krafton has issued a more detailed, forceful statement to offer further justification for the move, including its impact on potential bonuses for staff.

Krafton specifically discusses its $500 million acquisition cost of Unknown Worlds, stating it had allocated 90% of a $250 million payout to three now-former executives "with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2." It asserts the three "abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them."

"Subnautica 2 was initially slated for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed," the statement continues. "Krafton made multiple appeals to Charlie and Max [McGuire] to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined. Specifically, following the failure of Moonbreaker, Krafton asked Charlie to dedicate himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of engaging in the game development, he opted to focus on a personal film project.

"Krafton believes that the absence of core leadership has led to repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule," it added, noting the unreleased early-access version "falls short in terms of content volume."

"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," it said.

Regarding the bonuses, Krafton stated, "We believe that the dedication and effort of this team are at the very heart of Subnautica's ongoing evolution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised."

The exact nature of this commitment remains unclear. When asked for clarification, a spokesperson told GameSpot, "Krafton is working on a fair and equitable compensation for those who have contributed to Subnautica 2's continued development. We recognize that their dedication and effort are at the very heart of Subnautica’s ongoing evolution. We will have further details going forward."

In response, Cleveland says they have filed a lawsuit against Krafton, the details of which should eventually become public.

"As I wrote last week, we know in our hearts that the game is ready for Early Access - that's just our way," Cleveland wrote in a Reddit post. "And we'd love nothing more than for you to play it (game developers live for this). But it's not currently in our hands. ... 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."

"As for the earnout, the suggestion that Max, Ted and I wanted to keep it all for ourselves is completely untrue," he added. "I'm in this industry because I love it, not for wealth. Historically we've always shared our profits with the team and did the same when we sold the studio. You can be sure we'll continue with the earnout/bonus as well. They deserve it for all their incredible work trying to get this great game into your hands."