After a winding controversy that went to court, Unknown Worlds Entertainment will finally receive its promised bonuses from parent company Krafton following the success of Subnautica 2. In the midst of this, studio CEO Ted Gill will be stepping down as part of this settlement, Bloomberg reports.
“We mutually agreed to part ways. New leadership is the best way for the studio to move forward,” he said, with both entities seeking a replacement from the outside.
Krafton subsequently told IGN that, “Krafton, Inc., Unknown Worlds Entertainment and Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire have reached a mutual settlement and agreed to dismiss all pending legal proceedings. Unknown Worlds and Krafton are focused on supporting Subnautica 2, its Early Access journey to the full 1.0 release and the global community that has made the franchise so special. Unknown Worlds will continue leading development, with Krafton providing support for the success of the game.”
The bonuses, amounting over $250 million, were decided when Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in 2001 for $500 million. However, following delays to Subnautica 2, the company suddenly fired Gill (alongside co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire). The case went to court, and the judge ruled in Gill’s favor, reinstating him as CEO while upholding Krafton’s commitment to bonuses.
The best part is that all employees will receive compensation rather than just the top brass and those working at the studio since 2021. While doled out over three annual installments, Gill noted that the studio will be “compensated significantly more” alongside “further incentives.”
After all, Subnautica 2 crossed four million copies sold within five days of its early access launch in May. That total is likely to be even higher now, especially as Unknown Worlds continues releasing updates.
What can players expect in the future? The ability to sprint for one alongside a storage cache, voice chat, player trading, additional slots for passive Biomods, and more. You can also expect improvements to Blight Encounters, wrecks, pinned recipes, the PDA databank and more.
It’s even listening to player requests for additional means to deal with hostile sea-life, though you shouldn’t expect to slay them, Sons of the Forest-style, anytime soon. Stay tuned for more details and check out our review for early access here.
