Krafton addresses leadership changes at Unknown Worlds, former executives file lawsuit against publisher | GamesIndustry.biz

Krafton has issued a statement regarding leadership changes at Unknown Worlds implemented last week, claiming the devel…

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TL;DR

Krafton just shook up Unknown Worlds’ leadership, accusing co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire of dropping the ball on Subnautica 2 (and off chasing side projects) and pushing its early access launch into 2026. The publisher says it had to step in after “repeated confusion in direction,” reallocating a $250 million earn-out that was meant to reward hands-on leadership.

In turn, Cleveland has hit back with a lawsuit—calling this whole saga “explosive and surreal”—and insists Subnautica 2 is ready to go. He also denies any greed over the earn-out, stressing that sharing profits with the team has always been their thing and vowing to see it through.