Amid an ongoing legal dispute, Krafton reportedly agreed to extend a $25 million bonus designated for Unknown Worlds developers due to the delay of Subnautica 2.
Krafton purchased Unknown Worlds in 2021 for $500 million. In addition, Unknown Worlds would receive an additional $250 million in 2026 if performance goals were met. However, before that payout was due, Krafton let go of two Unknown Worlds co-founders and the CEO, and delayed Subnautica 2 until 2026.
Krafton claimed that the decision had nothing to do with money and argued that the former Unknown Worlds leadership “abandoned” their responsibilities. In response, the fired founders sued Krafton. The story took another twist when an internal dev document leaked online, detailing the dispute. As the story continues to unfold, there is a new development in favor of Unknown Worlds.
Krafton Extends Bonus Period Due to Subnautica 2 Delay
Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that 10% of the additional $250 million payout was reserved for 40 employees.
“When Krafton said earlier this month that it planned to push back the game’s release, employees feared that it wouldn’t be possible to hit those targets and that their potential earnings would disappear,” Schreier explained.
However, Schreier confirmed that Krafton agreed to extend the schedule for a potential bonus payout to account for the Subnautica 2 delay until next year.
“Krafton also said it would advance a portion of the studio’s projected 2026 profit-sharing bonus pool to all Unknown Worlds employees this year,” Schreier confirmed.
It remains to be seen what the result of the breach of contract complaint will be, but we expect more twists and turns along the way.
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