The publisher for KRAFTON's upcoming title, 'Subnautica 2,' has been changed from KRAFTON to its developer, Unknown Worlds.

KRAFTON acquired Unknown Worlds, the developer of 'Subnautica,' in 2021 for approximately $500 million. At the time, Unknown Worlds enjoyed high brand recognition following the massive success of the original 'Subnautica,' released in 2018. Consequently, 'Subnautica 2,' currently in development by the studio, has been a subject of significant interest among gamers.

However, issues arose in July 2025 when KRAFTON announced a delay in the release of Subnautica 2, the dismissal of the three co-founders (Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire), and a change in CEO. KRAFTON cited negligence by the existing management as the reason for the development delays, while the management countered that KRAFTON had delayed the game's release to avoid paying performance bonuses owed to the development team, leading to a legal battle.

Following a nine-month legal battle, the judge ruled in favor of the Unknown Worlds management team. In a ruling issued by the Delaware Court of Chancery on March 16 of this year, the court ordered the reinstatement of fired CEO Ted Gill, granted him full authority over all matters related to the early access and launch plans for Subnautica 2, and extended the contract period for his promised performance-based compensation through 2027.

While this change in publisher is seen as a result of the ruling, some are speculating about a potential rift between KRAFTON and Unknown Worlds, given that the developer will now handle distribution directly, bypassing its parent company. Currently, the publisher listed on all electronic software distribution (ESD) platforms where Subnautica 2 is featured has been updated to Unknown Worlds.