The long-awaited sequel to the indie survival video game hit Subnautica has just been delayed, and the finger is being pointed at its publisher, Krafton.

The delay comes amid a wealth of drama surrounding Subnautica 2 and Krafton that started when the company fired the game's original leadership team.

Now, rumors are swirling that an upcoming $250 million bonus for the developers has to do with the firing. But is it true? Here's what you need to know.

What Is The 'Subnautica 2' Drama?

Back in 2021, South Korean game publishers Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds, the studio most known for the popular indie game Subnautica. The publisher originally claimed that the studio would continue to operate independently.

Four years later, in July 2025, reports that the leadership team behind Subnautica 2 was fired and replaced went viral. The leadership team consisted of the studio's founders and original devs, Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire. No reason for the firing was given.

On top of that, the long-awaited game was delayed from a 2025 release to a 2026 release.

On July 11th, Bloomberg published a piece about the game's delay, including quotes from an anonymous source suggesting the team was fired so Krafton could avoid paying the devs a $250 million bonus.

The bonus would be awarded if the team met certain revenue goals by the end of 2025. The theory is that Krafton fired the team to make it impossible for them to meet their goals. Krafton has denied this, despite reports that the original Unknown Worlds team is now suing them over the incident.

Now, a series of leaked Krafton documents is going viral online that suggest development problems regarding the game's upcoming Early Access release.

How Are People Reacting To The 'Subnautica 2' Drama?

The delay of Subnautica 2 and the team's firing have sparked a lot of reactions online. Many are reacting in defense of the leadership team, believing the allegations of the $250 million bonus and seeing it as bad practice. Some are even trying to boycott the game.

On the other end of the spectrum, some are defending Krafton, suggesting that the leaked document, which shows several mid-dev changes to the game, is the reason for the delay. They also suggest there's no concrete evidence that monetary reasons led to the firings.

What Are Some More 'Subnautica 2' Reactions?

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For the full history of the Subnautica 2 controversy, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.