To Our 12 Million Fellow Subnauts,

— Inevitable Leadership Change Driven by Project Abandonment–Despite Holding 90% of Earnout for Themselves

Firstly, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support, enthusiasm, and continuous commitment to Subnautica. We aim to clarify the recent changes in leadership at Unknown Worlds, a creative studio affiliated with KRAFTON.

Background of Leadership Change

KRAFTON places immense value on the unique creativity and immersive world-building that Subnautica offers. In an effort to provide fans with enhanced gaming experiences, we acquired Unknown Worlds and are fully dedicated to ensuring the future success of Subnautica. We worked hand in hand with the studio’s key leadership, who played a crucial role in developing the original Subnautica, to create the ideal setting for a successful Subnautica 2.

More specifically, besides the initial purchase amount of $500 million, we designated approximately 90% of the available $250 million earn-out compensation to the three former executives, anticipating their leadership and active engagement in the development of Subnautica 2.

However, regrettably, the former leadership abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them. Subnautica 2 was originally planned for an Early Access launch in early 2024, but the timeline has since been significantly delayed. KRAFTON made multiple requests to Charlie and Max to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so. In particular, following the failure of Moonbreaker, KRAFTON asked Charlie to devote himself to the development of Subnautica 2. However, instead of participating in the game development, he chose to focus on a personal film project.

KRAFTON believes that the absence of core leadership has resulted in repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule.The current Early Access version also falls short in terms of content volume.We are deeply disappointed by the former leadership’s conduct, and above all, we feel a profound sense of betrayal by their failure to honor the trust placed in them by our fans.

KRAFTON’s Full Support for the Dedicated Development Team

To uphold our commitment to provide you with the best possible gaming experience, we made the difficult yet necessary decision to change the executive leadership. Subnautica 2 has been and continues to be actively developed by a dedicated core team who share genuine passion, accountability, and commitment to the game. We deeply respect their expertise and creativity and will continue to provide full and unwavering support, enabling them to focus solely on delivering the exceptional game you deserve.

KRAFTON’s Commitment to its Promises in Rewarding Employees

Additionally, KRAFTON has committed to fair and equitable compensation for all remaining Unknown Worlds employees who have continuously and tirelessly contributed to Subnautica 2’s development. We believe that the dedication and effort of this team are at the very heart of Subnautica’s ongoing evolution, and we reaffirm our commitment to provide the rewards they were promised.

Fans will always remain at the center of every decision we make at KRAFTON. Moving forward, we promise transparent communication and continued efforts to sustainably develop and expand the beloved Subnautica universe.

Honoring your trust and expectations is a core tenet at KRAFTON. We are committed to repaying your patience with an even more refined and exceptional gaming experience.