Krafton Ordered to Reinstate Subnautica 2 CEO, Extend Bonus Payout

A judge has ruled in favor of former Unknown Worlds Entertainment CEO Ted Gill, ordering his reinstatement and extending a potential $250 million bonus payout to the Subnautica 2 development team. The decision stems from a legal battle initiated after Krafton dramatically fired Gill and other senior team members in July 2025.

The Legal Dispute

The core of the dispute revolves around the acquisition of Unknown Worlds by Krafton in 2021, which included a performance-based bonus structure. Krafton allegedly fired key personnel and delayed the early access launch of Subnautica 2, raising questions about whether the company was attempting to avoid fulfilling the bonus agreement IGN.

Court Ruling Details

The Delaware Chancery Court found that Krafton breached the Equity Purchase Agreement (EPA) by terminating the key employees without valid cause and by improperly seizing operational control of Unknown Worlds Kotaku. The July 1, 2025, board resolution that led to the firings has been deemed ineffective regarding Gill’s operational control.

The judge has ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as CEO and restore his access to the Steam platform, granting him authority over the early access launch of Subnautica 2 PC Gamer.

the period for earning the $250 million bonus has been extended to at least September 15, 2026, potentially allowing the team to continue earning the payout beyond that date Kotaku.

Krafton’s Response

Krafton has stated that it is “evaluating its options as we determine our path forward” and that further litigation is still pending IGN. The company maintains its focus on delivering the game to fans and plans to release a newly updated version as soon as possible.

Early Access Release

Subnautica 2 is currently scheduled to begin early access on PC and Xbox in May, though a specific date has not yet been announced IGN.