Subnautica 2 will no longer be trapped in legal drama. According to IGN, following a prolonged court battle between publisher Krafton and developer Unknown Worlds, Subnautica 2 is reportedly launching on Xbox and PC via early access in May.
On March 17, IGN obtained a message sent to the team behind the game from Unknown Worlds head Steve Papoutsis. In the message, Papoutsis said that all of the heads of the studio as well as Krafton had “unanimously determined” Subnautica 2 is ready to launch via early access in May. No specific date was indicated in the message.
“Thanks to your dedication and talent, we’ve added more story chapters, built new creatures, and created new biomes along with many other features,” said Papoutsis in his studio message. “With this significant progress, we have passed Krafton’s milestone review last week and are now ready to start our open development journey alongside our community. We have full confidence that we have reached a point where we can deliver an experience our players will love.”
Yesterday, a judge in Delaware found in favor of Unknown Worlds after a months-long court battle between the co-founders of the studio and Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton. The judge declared that fired CEO Ted Gill must be reinstated and that he and the studio be given back control over Subnautica 2‘s early access plans. The court also extended how long Unknown Worlds has to earn a possible $250 million bonus payment based on the success of Subnautica 2‘s launch. It was this large payout and the increasingly likely odds at the time that its criteria for payout would be met that led to Krafton’s CEO to consult ChatGPT for advice on how to stop that from happening, ultimately leading to Subnautica 2‘s delay and the firing of the studio’s co-founders in 2025.
“We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch,” said Papoutsis in the message to the team. “Our priority is getting this game into the hands of the community that has been eagerly waiting for it—and that means honoring the work you have already done to make that possible.”