Krafton pays bonuses after the resounding success of Subnautica 2

The outcome of this lengthy legal battle brings tremendous relief to those who truly bear the responsibility of developing the game. According to information obtained by Bloomberg, the new bonus agreement—shaped directly by a court decision against the publisher that had previously reinstated the board—ensures that absolutely all studio employees will receive a share of the profits in annual installments, even covering the most recently hired professionals. It's wonderful to see justice being served in the corporate environment, compelling a multinational company to honor its contractual promises and value the workforce that generated so much revenue for the company's coffers.

The financial controversy ran parallel to the brilliant commercial performance of the title in the market. Since the servers went live, Subnautica 2 has established itself as one of the biggest survival phenomena of this season, breaking through the barrier of four million active users exploring its deep and dangerous waters. The current estimate is that the game has already surpassed the five million units sold worldwide, an impressive feat considering the project has been available since day one on the Xbox and PC Game Pass catalog.

This entire commercial dynamism ultimately forced Krafton to open its wallet. The South Korean giant had been trying in every way to evade the payment of a bonus based on targets set during the acquisition of Unknown Worlds in 2021, which at the time cost US$ 500 million. At the end of May, faced with the overwhelming success on computers and consoles, the distributor had no option but to release the amount of US$ 250 million in withheld bonuses. So far, players on other platforms remain without news, as no version aimed at the PS5 or Switch 2 has been officially announced by the team.

The news of the bonus payment came along with a shake-up in the studio's leadership. The executive director of the developer, Ted Gill, is stepping down from the company's helm once again. The departure was described as amicable by both parties, with the professional publicly stating that new leadership is the best path forward for the team's progress.

"We mutually agreed to part ways."

Although the detailed aspects of this departure were not disclosed in the report, the former CEO made a point of emphasizing that the franchise creators will receive a compensation significantly greater than what was initially stipulated in the original purchase contract, in addition to additional incentives tied to the game's future update schedule. Seeing an executive exit the scene ensuring that his team receives every penny they deserve shows that there is still room for integrity behind the scenes in the gaming industry.