Krafton has officially verified the authenticity of a leak concerning Subnautica 2, revealing an internal review that highlights the game’s developmental challenges. This situation has intensified the ongoing turmoil surrounding the game’s production.
On July 2, Krafton announced significant changes within Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2, by removing key figures: game director Charlie Cleveland, co-founder Max McGuire, and CEO Ted Gill. The dismissed executives have responded by filing a lawsuit against the South Korean company, alleging wrongful termination.
Krafton asserts that the leadership shake-up was necessary due to a lack of game progress and insufficient content. Following these developments, Krafton affirmed the legitimacy of leaked slides from an internal presentation assessing Subnautica 2’s status as of May 2025.
These images surfaced on the subreddit r/Subnautica_2 on July 11 and detailed substantial content cuts that influenced the decision to delay the game. Krafton stated that the circulated document is indeed part of an internal milestone review for the project.
The leaked slides indicate that, between Q2 2023 and Q2 2025, significant features were removed, including two biomes, a type of Leviathan creature, various tools, a vehicle named Trident, character customization options, and six hours of story content. Although some elements were postponed rather than entirely cut, their absence has considerably impacted the game’s early access version, prompting a reassessment of its launch feasibility.
Krafton’s claims suggest that the game was initially set for early access in 2024 but faced delays due to ongoing creative decisions. In response to Krafton’s allegations, Cleveland vehemently denied claims of neglect, stating that Subnautica was his “life’s work” and that he would never abandon it.
He also highlighted that their lawsuit is partly motivated by the financial implications of their dismissals, potentially costing them $225 million in revenue target bonuses negotiated during Krafton’s acquisition of Unknown Worlds in 2021.