Amid an more and more bitter row over a $250 million bonus, Krafton has now chosen to verify a leaked Subnautica 2 growth doc purportedly criticizing the highly-anticipated sequel is, in actual fact, actual.
But first, some context. Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021 and on the time, said the Subnautica studio would proceed to operate as an unbiased outfit. Last week, nonetheless, former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, joined Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds as CEO. The shock announcement confirmed that the earlier management crew — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — were replaced "effective immediately." In a subsequent assertion, co-founder Cleveland responded to what he known as the "shock" resolution to interchange the management crew, saying that "after all these years, to find that I’m no longer able to work at the company I started stings." The assertion additionally intimated that whereas the previous management crew thought-about the game prepared for early entry release, Krafton didn’t.
Then, final week, reviews got here to gentle that Subnautica 2 had been delayed to 2026 simply months earlier than Krafton was attributable to pay a $250 million bonus to the development team. Bloomberg stated the delay was “against the wishes of the studio’s former leadership,” and that the $250 million bonus would have kicked in if Unknown Worlds hit sure income targets by the tip of 2025. Now, with out Subnautica 2 popping out this 12 months, that bonus wouldn’t be paid out.
In a assertion to IGN, Krafton insisted the choice had nothing to do with “any contractual or financial considerations.” Instead, Krafton claimed, the delay was about responding to suggestions from playtests, and delay talks had been already below dialogue earlier than Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill had been outed. Shortly after this assertion, the former leadership team revealed they were filing a lawsuit against Krafton.
And now the drama continues, with the leak of an internal review document that shares a less-than-stellar mid-cycle review. Rather than deny the leak, nonetheless, Krafton has authenticated it, saying: "Given these circumstances, Krafton has determined that transparent communication is necessary and has chosen to confirm the authenticity of the document."
The leaked pictures themselves show two pages of a development review, and look like pictures of a PC monitor. They show the disconnect between the place Krafton anticipated growth to be versus the as-is place. While we don't know who or which firm authored the report, it's clearly essential of Unknown Worlds, recommending Subnautica 2 ought to "launch with an MVP-level build that allows players to experience the core loop at a high level of quality," however including that, because it at present stood, the game "lacks the level of polish and market impact required to drive IP growth and expansion."
"It is recommended to enhance the content volume and level of polish before launching so that it can appeal to a broader market from the [early access] release stage," the report says. "While the game includes a variety of content, it currently lacks the freshness and volume expected of a sequel.
"In addition, it falls short of assembly the high expectations of the OWSC and the Asian market."
It is currently unclear how the leaked document began circulating publicly online.
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"Krafton is issuing the next assertion in response to rising hypothesis surrounding the event of Subnautica 2," Krafton said in a statement to Eurogamer. "This assertion goals to offer readability and context concerning the present scenario.
"The document that has been circulating on social media and reported by various outlets is indeed part of an internal milestone review conducted as part of the Subnautica 2 project. Krafton has confirmed that portions of it have been leaked and are now being widely shared across online platforms and within the fan community. Krafton recognises the confusion this has caused.
"Given these circumstances, Krafton has decided that clear communication is critical and has chosen to verify the authenticity of the doc," the publisher added. "Krafton believes that minimising hypothesis and making certain correct communication with gamers should take priority.
(*2*)Krafton will proceed working carefully with Unknown Worlds to make sure that Subnautica 2 meets the expectations of gamers who’ve supported the franchise through the years," the assertion concluded.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, in addition to a critic, columnist, and marketing consultant with 15+ years expertise working with some of the world's largest gaming websites and publications. She's additionally a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.