Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton accused of delaying statements, saying they “waived responsibility”

The ongoing drama surrounding Subnautica 2's delay and its team turmoil continues, with the company Krafton today releasing a long public statement accusing studio leaders of “giving up their responsibilities” in the game, accusing them of focusing on individual projects rather than fulfilling contractual roles and suggesting that the game's delay is their shortcomings.

In our statement published in full reprint below, Crafton claims that it made “multiple requests” to unknown world founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, respectively, reinstate their responsibilities as game director and technical director, but claims they both refused. “In particular, after the failure of Moon Slayer, Crafton asked Charlie to work on the development of Subnautica 2. However, he did not participate in game development and chose to focus on his solo film project,” the statement read. “Crafton believes that the lack of core leadership will lead to repeated confusion in directions and significant delays throughout the project plan.”

Crafton also mentioned the reported $250 million bonus, which has been promised to provide to the development team to pay for months from now if the revenue target is met. per per Krafton, 90% of that bonus is designed to go directly to Cleveland, McGuire and former CEO Ted Gill, before they were removed from office.

Statement with Krafton's commitment to “fair and equitable compensation for all remaining unknown world employees…we reaffirm our commitment to the rewards we promise to provide”.

The full content of this statement is as follows:

For our 12 million compatriots

– The inevitable leadership change is driven by project abandonment – despite holding 90% of revenue

First, we sincerely thank you for your continued support, passion and unwavering dedication to Subnautica. We want to clearly illustrate the latest leadership changes in the Creative Studios under Krafton.

Background of leadership background change

Krafton deeply values ​​Subnautica's unique creativity and immersive world building. To provide fans with a better gaming experience, we have gained an unknown world and are fully committed to supporting Subnautica's future success. We work closely with studio leadership that is at the heart of creating the original Subnautica to promote a successful Subnautica 2.

Specifically, in addition to the initial $500 million purchase price, we also earned up to approximately $250 million in compensation to three former executives and expect them to demonstrate leadership and actively participate in the development of Subnautica 2.

But, regrettably, the former leaders gave up their responsibilities entrusted to them. Subnautica 2 was originally planned to be launched in early 2024, but the timeline has been greatly delayed since then. Krafton made several requests to Charlie and Max, reinstating the roles of game director and technical director respectively, but both refused to do so. In particular, after the failure of the Moon Savior, Crafton asked Charlie to work on the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in game development, he chose to focus on his personal film project.

Crafton believes that the lack of core leadership can lead to repeated confusion in direction and significant delays throughout the project schedule.

The current early access versions are not sufficient in terms of content volume.

We are very disappointed with the actions of previous leaders and, most importantly, a deep sense of betrayal for failing to fulfill the trust that fans trust.

Crafton's full support for the dedicated development team

To maintain our commitment to providing you with the best gaming experience, we have made difficult but necessary decisions to change executive leadership. Subnautica 2 has and continues to be actively developed by a dedicated core team who have a real passion, accountability and commitment to the game. We deeply respect their expertise and creativity and will continue to provide comprehensive and unwavering support that allows them to focus on delivering the great game they deserve.

Crafton’s commitment to rewarding employees

In addition, Caffton is committed to providing fair, equitable compensation to all the remaining unknown world employees who have contributed relentlessly to the development of Subnautica 2. We believe that the team’s dedication and efforts are at the heart of Subnautica’s ongoing development and we reaffirm our commitment to the rewards we promise.

Fans will always be at the center of every decision we make at Crafton. Moving forward, we guarantee transparent communication and continue to work towards sustainable development and expansion of the beloved subsea universe.

Respecting your trust and expectations is the core principle of Krafton. We are committed to repaying your patience with a more sophisticated and excellent gaming experience.

subnautica 2 The entire leadership team was replaced last week The former strike of shipowner Krafton is away from CEO Steve Papoutsis, the race has been postponed until 2026. The replacement is a “shock” to Cleveland, he He claimed in Reddit shortly after being removed from office Subnautica 2 is “ready to release ahead of time” and the decision is “in Krafton's hands” and says it's decided to remove him and other leaders “Stings”.

Next is Bloomberg Report The decision was allegedly made before the plan to pay the team $250 million in bonuses, with employees expecting bonuses ranging from hundreds of thousands to seven numbers, and they are not worried about not seeing them now. In a statement to IGN at the time, Caffton claimed that the delay was a response to Playtester feedback and had nothing to do with “any contractual or financial consideration.” In response to the cancellation of three leadership members and concerns about refusing the promised employee bonus, Fans have begun organizing a boycott of games on social media.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior journalist at IGN. You can find her post on bluesky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Is there a story tip? Send it to [email protected].