Update: 22-05-2025 22:20BST - Krafton and Unknown Worlds have nowofficially delayed Subnautica 2’s Early Access release into 2026, claiming it needs “a little extra time” to respond to community feedback. Original story follows.
Kraftonremoved Unknown Worlds Entertainment’s three co-founders—Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire—and installed Steve Papoustis (formerly of Striking Distance Studios) as studio head in a shocking move last week.
There remains a lot of concern from fans about the status ofSubnautica 2, which is set to release in early access later this year. Although Krafton’s statement seemed to imply that Papoustis was installed to speed up development of Subnautica 2, Clevelandsaid in a postabout his dismissal last week that Subnautica 2 is “ready for early access.”
However, in a statement given toKotakuby Krafton, the publisher implies this isn’t the case.
Subnautica 2’s Release Schedule May Need “Adjustments”
“Following the recent leadership transition, we are in the process of refining our development plans and preparing for an Early Access launch under a more clearly defined vision,” the statement reads. “Some adjustments to the schedule may be required.”
While this isn’t an explicit confirmation of a delay to Subnautica 2’s early access release, it’s also not a promising sign. After all, there’s no reason to include that caveat in a statement unless Krafton feels that a delay was the most likely outcome.
It’s a strange situation as neither Krafton nor those let go from the studio have clarified why exactly this leadership change was necessary. Cleveland saying the game is ready while Krafton appears to be preparing for a delay could suggest Subnautica 2 isn’t as far along as Krafton wants it to be.
Even if this were the case, the complete removal of three of the people integral to the initial success of the series seems like an extreme move. It’s unlikely we’ll find out the exact reasoning behind these dismissals any time soon, as the terminations are likely wrapped in various contractual restrictions. That’s conjecture on my part, however.
As it stands, Subnautica 2 is still scheduled to release in early access later this year. The game is being developed in Unreal Engine 5, and will have a multiplayer mode that supports up to four players.
