Krafton reportedly agrees to pay Unknown Worlds $250 million after Subnautica 2 success

Krafton has reportedly agreed to pay Unknown Worlds the $250 million bonus tied to Subnautica 2, bringing one of the messiest recent gaming business disputes closer to an expected outcome. The report says the decision follows the game’s strong launch, with Subnautica 2 estimated to have sold 4 million copies and generated about $100 million in revenue.

The bonus became the center of a public legal battle between Krafton and the original Unknown Worlds founders, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire. The dispute began in July 2025, when Krafton fired the three founders. At the time, the company said the move was connected to delivering the kind of Subnautica sequel fans deserved, but the explanation quickly faced scrutiny.

A Bloomberg report later revealed that the founders were tied to a $250 million payout if the Subnautica franchise reached a specific sales milestone within a set timeline. That changed the framing of the dispute. If Subnautica 2 had launched on its original schedule and performed strongly, Unknown Worlds would likely have triggered the bonus.

The dispute became bigger after the founders sued and a judge sided with them

Krafton later delayed Subnautica 2 and denied that the delay had anything to do with avoiding the payout. The company also accused the founders of abandoning their responsibilities during development. Cleveland and the other co founders sued Krafton the same day those claims were made.

The legal fight became even more damaging for Krafton after a February 2026 ruling sided with the co founders. The judge ordered that they be reinstated and also confirmed that Krafton’s CEO had used ChatGPT while trying to find a way around the payout. That detail turned the dispute into an even bigger public relations problem for the publisher.

The timing of Subnautica 2’s release made the payout feel increasingly likely. The game had already built major interest before launch, with more than 5 million wishlists. After release, it became an immediate hit, making it much harder for Krafton to argue that the game had not met the kind of success expected from the franchise.

For Unknown Worlds, the reported payout would be a major victory after a year of uncertainty. For Krafton, it ends a dispute that became costly in more ways than money. The company faced legal pressure, public criticism, and questions about how it handled one of its most valuable studios.

Subnautica 2’s success also shows the strength of the franchise. Despite the lawsuit, leadership drama, and public attention around the bonus, players still showed up in large numbers. That suggests the series remains one of the strongest survival game brands in the market.

The reported agreement does not erase the damage caused by the dispute, but it does give the story a clearer direction. Unknown Worlds appears set to receive the bonus, Subnautica 2 has proven itself commercially, and Krafton may now need to rebuild trust around how it manages the studio and the franchise going forward.