Subnautica 2 studio will get their bonus, says Krafton, but it's not the $250 million promised

Publishers Krafton person told workers astatine Subnautica 2 workplace Unknown Worlds they would inactive get a promised bonus if they vessel capable of the crippled by the extremity of 2026. In different words, they've been fixed an hold to deed their targets. The bonus wealth was successful question aft the astonishment firing of elder unit a mates of weeks ago, and the enforced hold of the endurance crippled by Krafton. After idiosyncratic concerns and instrumentality outrage, present the corp says "don't worry, we'll pay!" Although it's not the immense $250 cardinal they were primitively expected to.

A study by Bloomberg says the sweetener would see a $25 cardinal payout to beryllium shared (unequally) among astir 40 circumstantial developers astatine the studio. All different workers would meantime get a bonus paid this year, an beforehand connected the "projected 2026 profit-sharing bonus pool". Although the amounts progressive for those employees isn't specified.

It's a large wad of cash. It is besides conscionable one-tenth of the $250 cardinal Krafton were owed to wage retired to the workplace if it achieved definite income figures by the extremity of 2025. So a comparative bargain for the South Korean corporation. The reasons for each this are muddy. So let's spell mudlarking.

In 2021 the workplace were bought by Krafton for $500 million, with a further $250 cardinal "earnout" promised if the workplace deed a definite level of gross by the extremity of 2025. The bulk of that earnout would beryllium claimed by the enactment astatine the studio, who've since said they planned to stock immoderate of that wealth with different employees. Meanwhile $25 cardinal of the earnout was ringfenced for the 40 employees mentioned above, with each getting a antithetic sum, "most successful the six oregon 7 figures" according to paperwork seen by Bloomberg.

Image credit: Krafton

With each that currency astatine stake, things went wrong. Subnautica 2 was owed to travel retired this year. Studio co-founder Charlie Cleveland believed the crippled was "ready for aboriginal access". Krafton disagreed. They wanted much enactment done connected it. Naturally, whoever mislaid this statement would perchance suffer rather a spot of dough. Presumably astatine an impasse, Krafton pulled retired an axe and decapitated the workplace heads Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max MacGuire, and present assertion that they abandoned their duties. The steadfast installed Steve Papoutsis, a shaper from Striking Distance (another Krafton studio) arsenic caller CEO, past publically delayed the crippled until 2026.

This near remaining workers acrophobic they excessively wouldn't spot their promised bonuses. But Krafton person present extended their deadline by a year, until the extremity of 2026, says Bloomberg. Seems promising for those who'll benefit, though we haven't seen what Krafton see arsenic "ready" for release, nor cognize if it's achievable successful that year.

Basically, it looks similar Krafton recognize that they person created a ineligible and fiscal headache for themselves - the 3 ousted devs are present suing the publisher, for 1 thing. They present look to beryllium throwing immoderate wealth astatine the problem. If 1 were inclined to deliberation similar a spreadsheet-brained firm entity, 1 would surmise that arsenic agelong arsenic said throwin' wealth soothes existent unit and does not transcend the $250 cardinal they person been avoiding truthful far, it volition each enactment retired successful the green.

It's a soiled messiness soaked successful cash, and it volition apt get dirtier successful court. Earlier this week, a papers was "leaked" connected Reddit that purpotedly showed however Subnautica 2's scope was reduced successful the past 2 years. Krafton inactive haven't responded to our question asking if they themselves were the root of this leak.