Gaming giant KRAFTON has ignited a corporate war after axing the entire leadership team at Unknown Worlds Entertainment. The publisher booted Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire from their positions while installing industry veteran Steve Papoutsis as the new studio boss. Bloomberg sources revealed that KRAFTON pushed back Subnautica 2 from its original June 2025 release date all the way into 2026. The delay threatens to kill a massive $250 million bonus that hinges on hitting specific revenue targets before year end. Former executives would have pocketed ninety percent of that windfall under the original agreement.
KRAFTON fired back at the ousted leaders with serious accusations about their work ethic and priorities. The Korean company claims Cleveland abandoned his duties to chase a personal film project instead of focusing on game development. Internal documents leaked on Reddit show KRAFTON believed the current build lacked proper polish and market appeal for successful launch. Missing content includes two complete biomes, various creatures, gameplay tools, six hours of story material, and character customization options. The publisher argued that releasing such an incomplete product would anger fans and damage the franchise.
Cleveland struck back by announcing legal action against the billion dollar corporation. The former studio head insists he never abandoned Subnautica and calls the game his life's work. He also disputes claims about bonus distribution and says profits always get shared with development teams.
KRAFTON fired back at the ousted leaders with serious accusations about their work ethic and priorities. The Korean company claims Cleveland abandoned his duties to chase a personal film project instead of focusing on game development. Internal documents leaked on Reddit show KRAFTON believed the current build lacked proper polish and market appeal for successful launch. Missing content includes two complete biomes, various creatures, gameplay tools, six hours of story material, and character customization options. The publisher argued that releasing such an incomplete product would anger fans and damage the franchise.
Cleveland struck back by announcing legal action against the billion dollar corporation. The former studio head insists he never abandoned Subnautica and calls the game his life's work. He also disputes claims about bonus distribution and says profits always get shared with development teams.
