Subnautica 2‘s strong launch is turning an old bonus promise into a very expensive problem for Krafton. A report from the Korea Economic Daily, via IGN, says Krafton agreed to pay Unknown Worlds founders Ted Gill, Max McGuire, and Charlie Cleveland $3.12 for every $1 once the studio’s monthly revenue crossed $69.8 million, with the total capped at $250 million.
The sales numbers make that cap look close. Subnautica 2 sold four million copies in less than a week, and Alinea Analytics said it was the fastest-selling game of 2026 so far, ahead of Slay the Spire 2, Resident Evil Requiem, and Crimson Desert.
That pressure around the launch had already been building since Subnautica 2 cleared 1 million sales in hour one. By then, the game was already pulling in a very positive response on Steam across more than 94,000 user reviews on Steam, which only sharpened the numbers problem for Krafton.
Krafton’s own 2025 earnings release says the company booked 1.1 trillion Korean won in operating profit for the fiscal year, or about $736 million. If the full bonus lands, it would take more than one-third of that profit on its own.
The fight over the payout has already spilled into court. Krafton had argued that the Unknown Worlds leadership was trying to rush the game out for the cash, but the trial showed the company knew what was happening and had signed off on it. Delaware judge Lori Will also said Krafton CEO Changhan Kim worried he had agreed to a “pushover” contract.
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