Available for PS4, Ace Combat 7: Skies of Unknown sees players controlling Trigger, a fighter pilot serving his penance while Osea and Erusea wage war. Launched in 2019, Bandai Namco’s air combat title has sold over seven million copies and earned critical acclaim. If you’re the least bit interested in Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve, then it’s absolutely worth playing Ace Combat 7 first.

Subnautica: Below Zero is somewhat less mandatory before the next game enters early access this year. Coming to PS4 and PS5 subscribers, it offers new characters, biomes, creatures, and mechanics, such as surface exploration. Not as acclaimed as the original, but it’s still one of the better survival crafting adventures out there.

The same goes for ULTROS on PS4 and PS5, at least in the sci-fi side-scrolling department. With trippy visuals courtesy of El Huervo (Hotline Miami) and an incredible soundtrack, it’s an adventure unlike most. And if realistic boxing is your poison, Undisputed, available exclusively for PS5, could be worthwhile. With over 70 fighters and dozens of Attributes and Traits to master, there’s a lot to keep you busy.

The testimonies, according to Krafton, show that the publisher had no plan to remove the co-founders from their leadership position at the studio to avoid giving them their earnout. The company said that it became “unequivocally clear there was no preconceived plan by Krafton to remove Unknown Worlds’ leadership to avoid the earnout obligation,” from their testimonies.

Along with this, the publisher has further alleged that the testimonies by McGuire, Cleveland and Gill serve as evidence that they “lied and tried to hide their abandonment [of Subnautica 2 and their duties] because they wanted Krafton to pay them hundreds of millions of dollars for nothing.”

As part of its legal strategy, Krafton has been establishing a timeline of events where Cleveland and McGuire hid the fact that they weren’t as hands-on with ongoing work at Unknown Worlds during the studio’s acquisition negotiations with Krafton. The publisher itself reportedly only discovered this on May 20 this year.

According to excerpts of the testimonies, Cleveland said, “I stopped working four months ago and have entered semi-retirement,” on January 8, 2024, in a private message. Another statement attributed to McGuire was also shown, where he said in an email to the core team members at the Subnautica developer that “I’ve continued to do bits and pieces of the job as needed, but I stopped using that title years ago when I felt it no longer reflected my primary contribution to the company.” In this statement, McGuire was referring to his title of technical director and had reportedly sent this email back on January 10, 2024.

McGuire made another statement on April 29, 2024, noting that he spoke to Cleveland and Gill about leaving the company. To this, Cleveland responded by saying that he was “pretty sure [he’ll] be doing the same thing.”

Another key piece of evidence provided by Krafton is a statement by Subnautica 2 lead designer Anthony Gallegos, who noted that he found it difficult to get any feedback on the title’s progress from McGuire. He said that he “can’t even get [McGuire] to look at some code for [Subnautica 2] water to help us, but he’ll make money off a sale from four years ago and get paid to do nothing.”

As part of the trial, Cleveland even admitted that he had not informed Krafton CEO Changham Kim about his lack of involvement at Unknown Worlds. Krafton’s side of the legal battle asked him: “You stood to gain potentially tens of millions of dollars more in earnout, and you couldn’t send him [Changham Kim] an email because your arms were hurting? Is that your testimony?” To this, Cleveland responded, “That’s not a great reason, I admit.”

Gill has also been further implicated by a statement from the transcription of an audio call made on June 10, 2025. In this statement, Gill told Krafton that the publisher should pay the promised earnout if it plans to delay the release of Subnautica 2.

“If you [Krafton] want to delay the game, just pay it. Just pay the earnout…agree to pay it now. We can sign something tomorrow…it’ll be paid, and we’ll give you flexibility on paying it. You can pay it over two years, instead of all at once. But just pay it,” said Gill as per the statement.

These statements by Krafton have been part of the company’s legal strategy of providing evidence that the three co-founders “were always concerned first and foremost about the earnout,” rather than the health of the studio and its future game releases.

Just last month, the trio had accused Kim of using ChatGPT to try to figure out a way how Krafton could avoid paying the promised earnout to Gill, Cleveland and McGuire.

For context, the co-founders of Unknown Worlds have filed a lawsuit against Krafton alleging that the publisher has held back a $250 million payout from the studio and its founders by delaying the release of Subnautica 2. Papoutsis said that the things that he has been shown indicate that Krafton has been offering nothing but encouragement for the studio.

“I don’t think that’s the case. Personally, what was presented to me when I was asked to participate and help the team was nothing but encouragement for making a great game from Krafton.”

“A commitment to players, a commitment to the creative process, a commitment to ensuring that, when we do choose to go to Early Access, it meets players’ expectations. That is all that’s ever been discussed to me, and that is a huge part of why I felt good about stepping in and accepting this opportunity.”

In the interview, Papoutsis also spoke about how he sees his role as CEO at Unknown Worlds as a support role. He noted that the studio didn’t need “creative leadership” and that his job is to instead help the studio with planning out the development of Subnautica 2 on a day-to-day basis.

“I’m not coming into this situation where they need creative leadership,” he said. “They’ve got that covered, where they need a person to lead the day-to-day development plan. They’ve got that in place.

“I’m coming in to do whatever I can in terms of support within the greater organization to help keep an eye out for anything that’s related to the project that is not necessarily about the development – any other business related aspects, any alignment with partners, outside of the direct development team – and obviously, share my experience and my insights with the team as needed.”

Papoutsis noted that he isn’t “coming in here to upend any of the development. They’ve got a creative vision. They’ve got a wonderful team of developers. That is not what is required here. What’s required here is finding spots where I can provide value and support the team on any and all things related to development, not to insert myself into a situation.”

The clashes between Krafton and Unknown Worlds’ co-founders started when the latter were suddenly terminated. Since then, the publisher has stated that there was an “absence of core leadership” at the studio, and that the leaked documents which indicated quite a bit of cut content from early access were real.

As part of the lawsuit, the three co-founders have claimed that Krafton has been taking part in a “months-long” campaign to delay Subnautica 2. For more details, check out our thoughts on the clash.

On July 2nd, Krafton, which acquired the developer in 2021 for $500 million, suddenly announced that its leadership – co-founders Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire – had been replaced by Steve Papoutsis “effective immediately.” The latter is known for his work on Dead Space but more recently for heading up Striking Distance Studios of The Callisto Protocol infamy. Papoutsis would become CEO and help “deliver Subnautica 2 as a more complete and satisfying entry in the series—one that truly lives up to player expectations,” per the publisher.

Needless to say, this blindsided the player base. Unknown Worlds had recently begun releasing Dev Vlog videos, and it seemed that early access was on track for launch later this year. We wouldn’t know just how much this decision shocked the former leadership until a few days later. However, perhaps sensing how this all looked, the studio released a statement. While helping Papoutsis transition into his role as CEO, it also assured players that the “day-to-day team” that’s worked on the title over the “last few years remains completely unchanged.”

And after that snafu with Krafton’s financial report, where it said the next Subnautica would be a “multiplayer live-service game,” the studio wanted to reassure you. “It will remain a single-player first experience, with optional co-operative multiplayer. No subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass. No microtransactions.”

However, this was only the beginning as one of the co-founders, Charlie Cleveland, would post on Reddit about how the “team poured their hearts into the game,” and that, “We know that the game is ready for early access release, and we know you’re ready to play it. And while we thought this was going to be our decision to make, at least for now, that decision is in Krafton’s hands. And after all these years, to find that I’m no longer able to work at the company I started, stings.” As you’d probably expect, this led to a fresh wave of backlash against the publisher, but things were about to get a whole lot worse.

Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported that Subnautica 2’s early access had been delayed to next year “against the wishes” of former leadership. However, the studio was allegedly due to receive a $250 million bonus if it met certain “revenue targets” by the end of 2025. As you’ve probably surmised, delaying early access would mean Unknown Worlds wouldn’t hit those targets and thus wouldn’t receive this bonus, with sources claiming that it would be shared among all employees. Considering this could result in bonuses worth millions, Krafton’s motives were viewed as even more ulterior. Based on what we knew, of course.

Unknown Worlds would subsequently release the first gameplay teaser trailer for Subnautica 2 and officially announced a delay to 2026 for early access. Along with the usual reasons – wanting to implement feedback and improving in some areas – it also cited the need for more content. As such, fans could expect more biomes, tools, creatures, and so on. It’s also still being developed by the same core team, everyone. Please remember that.

This was viewed as damage control by the community, who had begun calling for a boycott of the title. And whether a boycott would be effective or not, a Reddit post with 55,000 upvotes, among everything else, wasn’t the negative press that the studio wanted.

It certainly wasn’t what Krafton sought, and so it took the next unexpected step: Revealing why it replaced leadership in the first place, on its own website at that.

It cited that an overwhelming amount of the $250 million bonus, 90 percent, would go to the studio’s co-founders “with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement in the development of Subnautica 2.” However, Krafton alleges that they “abandoned the responsibilities entrusted to them,” and that the sequel was meant to launch into early access in early 2024, but “The timeline has since been significantly delayed.” It “made multiple requests to Charlie and Max to resume their roles as Game Director and Technical Director, respectively, but both declined to do so.”It even called out the failure of Moonbreaker and how Cleveland was dedicated to working on films instead of focusing on Subnautica 2’s development.

This created “repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule,” with the publisher feeling “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.” This resulted in the “difficult yet necessary decision to change the executive leadership.”

Oh, and don’t worry, as it assured, once again, that Subnautica 2 is developed by a “dedicated core team who share genuine passion, accountability, and commitment to the game.” Furthermore, it promised “fair and equitable compensation for all remaining Unknown Worlds employees who have continuously and tirelessly contributed to Subnautica 2’s development,” reaffirming its “commitment to provide the rewards they were promised.”

Does that mean they’ll receive a piece of the promised $250 million payout after all? Whether it will or won’t, the rollercoaster has yet to stop, as the former co-founders have announced a lawsuit against Krafton, and that the details should become “(at least mostly) public,” per Cleveland. And while not keen on the same, he believes, “This needs to be made right. Subnautica has been my life’s work and I would never willingly abandon it or the amazing team that has poured their hearts into it.” Furthermore, he denied that the co-founders wanted to keep most of the bonus.

“Historically, we’ve always shared our profits with the team and did the same when we sold the studio. You can be damned sure we’ll continue with the earnout/bonus as well. They deserve it for all their incredible work trying to get this great game into your hands.”

Schreier would state on ResetEra that no one disputes that Cleveland and McGuire were “barely involved with Subnautica 2.” However, Krafton’s statement about how the game was in terrible shape without their involvement is contradictory to current expectations of things going smoothly now that they’re gone. Granted, it doesn’t quite account for Gill, who was the actual CEO during all this, or how capable Papoutsis is, now that he’s in charge, but it’s worth noting.

There have also been leaked screenshots about content that was allegedly cut for early access had it launched this year. While the legitimacy of the source is up for debate, what isn’t are the actual responses from the studio. Over on its official Discord, community manager Donya Abramo clarified that its statement on the delay was the studio’s and not Krafton’s, and that “The only people who have been working on Subnautica 2 directly are the developers at Unknown Worlds.” There was also the assurance, yet again, that there would be no microtransactions, battle passes, subscriptions or loot boxes. At this point, I want to see this as an official sticker for box art and store listings.

Other statements from the developers include how there are no concerns about the story (which hasn’t seen any rewrites) and that the recent trailer is gameplay and not CGI. For what it’s worth, the team working on the title are still showing transparency to the community. To the extent that they’re able, of course.

To say that everything else is a mess would be an understatement. Is it a case of leadership neglecting its duties? Is Krafton really the evil corporation, the Alterra given form, that everyone is painting it as? At this point, we probably won’t know everything until the actual lawsuit begins. How Subnautica 2 turns out in these conditions remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Krafton and Unknown Worlds have an uphill battle to fight in the public eye, never mind having to surpass expectations with early access.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, GamingBolt as an organization.

This allegedly included the removal of two biomes, fewer creatures (including one less Leviathan type), no custom game mode, fewer vehicles and tools, and even less narrative content. While it initially declined to comment on the legitimacy of the leak, Krafton has since issued a statement (via Kotaku’s Ethan Gach) confirming it’s real in the name of “transparent communication.”

Part of a series of regularly conducted “internal milestone reviews,” Krafton said the process helps “assess development progress” and “define clear objectives” while aligning with its standards. It will continue “working closely with Unknown Worlds to ensure that Subnautica 2 meets the expectations of players who have supported the franchise over the years.” This is following assurances that the core team working on the game is “completely unchanged.”

Subnautica 2 launches in early access for PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. Stay tuned for more details on its development, including the next Dev Vlog and more gameplay, in the coming months.

Taking to social media platform X, Cleveland wrote about Krafton’s comments regarding the “absence of core leadership” for Subnautica 2, and how important the original Subnautica has been for him and his fellow studio co-founders Ted Gill and Max McGuire.

“We’ve now filed a lawsuit against Krafton: the details should eventually become (at least mostly) public – you all deserve the full story,” wrote Cleveland on X. “Suing a multi-billion dollar company in a painful, public and possibly protracted way was certainly not on my bucket list. But this needs to be made right. Subnautica has been my life’s work and I would never willingly abandon it or the amazing team that has poured their hearts into it.”

In his post, Cleveland also wrote about Subnautica 2 being ready for an Early Access release, as well as how Krafton’s statement about the three co-founders is “totally untrue”.

“As for the earnout, the idea that Max, Ted and I wanted to keep it all for ourselves is totally untrue,” he wrote. “I’m in this industry because I love it, not for riches. Historically we’ve always shared our profits with the team and did the same when we sold the studio. You can be damned sure we’ll continue with the earnout/bonus as well. They deserve it for all their incredible work trying to get this great game into your hands.”

Cleveland also wrote about it being a surreal time for the team that has worked hard on developing Subnautica 2. “None of this is what we wanted,” he wrote. “But we truly appreciate the amazing support we’ve gotten from everyone. It means a lot to us, especially now.”

This announcement by Cleveland comes just hours after Krafton had released its statement regarding the state of Subnautica 2 and Unknown Worlds as a whole. The publisher had revealed that, of the $500 million it had spent in its acquisition of the studio, $250 million was set aside as earn-out compensation. Out of this $250 million, 90 percent was slated to go to the three co-founders of the studio.

“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,” wrote Krafton in its statement.

Krafton’s statement was in itself a response to the studio talking about Subnautica 2 being delayed to 2026 earlier this week. Unknown Worlds stated that it got “some great feedback” from playtests, going on to talk about how the studio felt that it was “swimming in the right direction”.

The decision to delay the Early Access launch for Subnautica 2 came about because the studio wanted to “give ourselves a little extra time to respond to more of that feedback before releasing the game into Early Access.”

When it comes out in 2026, Subnautica 2 will be available on PC and Xbox Series X/S.

However, Krafton has since provided clarification on the sudden change of leadership and the supposed payout on its home page (via Reddit). The company “deeply values Subnautica’s unique creativity and immersive world-building. To provide fans with even better gaming experiences, we acquired Unknown Worlds, fully committed to supporting Subnautica’s future success. We collaborated closely with the studio’s leadership, who were central to the creation of the original Subnautica, to foster the optimal environment for a successful Subnautica 2.“

It revealed that of the $500 million spent on acquiring the studio, 90 percent of its $250 million earn-out compensation would go to the three co-founders – Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire. This was “with the expectation that they would demonstrate leadership and active involvement 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.”

The company claims to have “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.”

This “absence of core leadership” has caused “repeated confusion in direction and significant delays in the overall project schedule.” Though Cleveland said the title was ready for early access, Krafton believes it currently 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.” As a result, it made the “difficult yet necessary decision to change the executive leadership.” Interestingly, there’s no mention of Ted Gill, who served as CEO.

Of course, for the third time now, it assures that “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.”

Interestingly, it also 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.”

In closing, Krafton said that fans will “always remain at the center of every decision we make.” “Moving forward, we promise transparent communication and continued efforts to sustainably develop and expand the beloved Subnautica universe.”

Subnautica 2’s early access will launch for PC and Xbox Series X/S in 2026. According to Unknown Worlds’ delay announcement, the additional time will allow for implementing feedback from playtests and adding more content, including new biomes, creatures, tools, and more. Stay tuned for further updates in the meantime.

As for the reason behind the delay, Unknown Worlds revealed that it received “some great feedback” from behind-the-scenes playtests. “The community was responding well to the environment, creatures, and story and felt positive about the general direction of the game. It gave us a great indication that we’re swimming in the right direction.”

However, it also offered insight into “the few areas where we need to improve.” Since the community is “at the heart of how we develop,” Unknown Worlds wants to “give ourselves a little extra time to respond to more of that feedback before releasing the game into Early Access.”

Said playtests will continue, but Unknown Worlds clarified, yet again in what’s becoming a worrying trend, that nothing is changing in terms of the direction or development team. “We are confident in what we’ve created; we just want to give you a little bit more content for our first Early Access release.”

That content will include more creatures, vehicle upgrades, biomes, and tools alongside a further expansion of the story. The next Dev Vlog is out “a little later than intended,” but you can expect more details and gameplay leading up to the early access launch (including a few “additional surprises”).

Subnautica 2 is in development for Xbox Series X/S and PC and also launches on day one for Game Pass.

Providing some background on how he started the studio alongside Ted Gill and Max McGuire, Cleveland says that they were “so excited to release Subnautica 2 into early access. Many of the folks that started the journey with us nearly 20 years ago have worked hard on Subnautica 2, and they’re joined by some incredible new talent who were drawn to the studio by their love of the games and their passion for the way we’ve made them.”

While acknowledging the high expectations, he said that the team had “poured their hearts into the game, and their dedication really shows. We helped pioneer early access, and our community seems to love it just as much as we do. It’s the best way to develop a game like this.” Which is why the “events of this week” provided “quite a shock.”

“We know that the game is ready for early access release, and we know you’re ready to play it. And while we thought this was going to be our decision to make, at least for now, that decision is in Krafton’s hands. And after all these years, to find that I’m no longer able to work at the company I started stings.”

Cleveland says that the team’s priority is always to “make the best-damned game we can for the best community in the world.” He also hinted that “this is not where the story ends.”

Subnautica 2 doesn’t have an early access release date, but it’s coming to Xbox Series X/S and PC alongside Game Pass this year. That the launch date is ultimately Krafton’s decision suggests that it wants to make some changes to the current game. However, Unknown Worlds has reiterated that it will remain a single-player-focused experience with optional co-op and no microtransactions, loot boxes, subscriptions or battle passes.

The developer has since released a statement to the community, assuring fans, “The team that has been working on the game day-to-day over the last few years remains completely unchanged.” This includes veterans who worked on the original, though many “incredible and talented developers” have also joined to “help us bring our vision for Subnautica 2 to life.”

It’s currently supporting Papoutsis as he “transitions into his role as CEO at Unknown Worlds. He’s already expressed his excitement to check out everything we’ve been working on and is diving into supporting our ongoing vision and journey to releasing Subnautica 2 early access.”

In its present state, Unknown Worlds touts the world and experience as “something that we’re all extremely proud of. From the story we’re hoping to tell, to every creature (big and small), down to the tiniest rock. We want to reassure you that Krafton feels strongly about supporting that vision at the studio as we continue to navigate the game toward Early Access.”

Of course, it’s also committed to listening to feedback and delivering on the “highest quality standards” while meeting expectations. There will be an update for the title’s early access timeline “soon,” but for now, it assured that nothing has changed about the overall structure.

“It will remain a single-player first experience, with optional co-operative multiplayer. No subscriptions. No loot boxes. No battle pass. No microtransactions.”

Subnautica 2 launches into early access later this year for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It will also be available on Game Pass. While it follows up on the original, the story takes place on a new planet with new biomes, sea life and more. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.