Subnautica 2’s Success Compels Krafton to Pay Billion-Dollar Developer Bonus

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Subnautica 2’s early access launch has been a significant success on Steam, prompting publisher Krafton to pay a $250 million bonus to developer Unknown Worlds. This payment fulfills an earnout clause in the 2021 acquisition agreement between the two companies. The contract stipulated an additional payment if Subnautica 2 achieved a revenue target of $69.8 million. The game has reportedly sold around 4 million copies and generated over $100 million in earnings since its early access release on May 14, 2026. According to reports from the Korean Economic Daily, Krafton will pay the $250 million bonus. The game has also seen significant player engagement, with over 467,000 simultaneous users on Steam, marking it as a major success in the survival game genre.

Krafton’s Knotty Earnout Clause Amid Subnautica 2’s Court-Ordered Founder Reinstatement and Bonus Payment Battle

This commercial success, however, carries complications for Krafton. The earnout clause’s activation highlights a past dispute that led to the departure and subsequent court-ordered reinstatement of Unknown Worlds’ founders. In 2025, Unknown Worlds leaders accused Krafton of deliberately delaying Subnautica 2’s release to prevent financial targets from being met within the original contract timeline. Court documents further revealed that Krafton’s CEO, Changhan Kim, explored strategies to avoid bonus payments, reportedly using ChatGPT. The ensuing legal battle concluded with a court ruling in favor of the Unknown Worlds founders, demanding their reinstatement and extending the earnout eligibility period until September 2026. The game’s current performance makes achieving this bonus inevitable. Subnautica 2’s launch performance on Steam was exceptional, attracting over 460,000 players and earning over $100 million within its first week. At one point, Krafton reportedly formed an internal team, “Project X,” to either avoid bonus payments or take over Unknown Worlds from its co-founders. The $250 million bonus payment represents a substantial financial commitment for Krafton, reportedly amounting to approximately 35% of its annual operational profit. Beyond its commercial performance, Subnautica 2 has garnered highly positive player reviews during its early access period.

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