In a stormy turn of events surrounding the much-anticipated underwater survival sequel, Subnautica 2 has officially been delayed into 2026 and the reason may run deeper than just polish and playtesting. A new report from Bloomberg has unveiled a swirl of controversy, with serious allegations that publisher Krafton deliberately pushed the game’s release to avoid paying out a $250 million performance bonus to developer Unknown Worlds.

According to multiple developers within the studio, including recently ousted founders Charlie Cleveland, Max McGuire, and Ted Gill, the decision to delay Subnautica 2 may not have been about quality at all. Insiders say the game was ready to launch in early access before the end of 2025, and that Krafton’s sudden shift in direction came shortly after firing the founding trio, raising suspicions that the delay is financially motivated.

A Deal 250 Million Reasons Deep

When Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in 2021, the deal included a performance-based bonus clause. If the studio hit certain revenue targets by 2025, Krafton would owe the team a $250 million payout. According to Bloomberg’s sources, delaying Subnautica 2 beyond this timeline dramatically decreases the likelihood that the studio can meet those targets.

While Krafton insists the delay was “not influenced by any contractual or financial considerations” and claims discussions about pushing the game began before the founders’ dismissal, developers close to the project see it differently. "It was ready," Cleveland reportedly told Bloomberg, reiterating that the game was in a solid state for early access.

Official Reason: Feedback From Playtests

Shortly after the report broke, Unknown Worlds published a statement confirming the delay and attributing it to feedback from internal playtests:

“We got some great feedback about Subnautica 2 during those playtests,” the studio wrote. “It gave us a great indication that we’re swimming in the right direction… but also provided insight into areas that need improvement. Our community is at the heart of how we develop, so we want to give ourselves a little extra time to respond before releasing the game into early access”.

               

The studio also released a new gameplay trailer to showcase its progress and reassure fans that development is very much alive and kicking.

Corporate Shake-Up Behind the Scenes

Perhaps even more telling is the leadership change that occurred just before the delay. Krafton installed Steve Papoutsis, formerly of Striking Distance Studios, as the new studio head of Unknown Worlds. In an internal meeting, Papoutsis allegedly told the team that Krafton believed the game lacked sufficient content for early access, a claim many found dubious, given the nature of early access itself.

Early access titles are, by definition, incomplete. They're launched with the understanding that content will be added and improved over time, often in direct collaboration with the community, something the original Subnautica executed with great success.

Who’s Right?

While we may never know the full truth behind the delay, the timing certainly raises eyebrows. Delaying the game to “add more content” feels like a smokescreen, especially when core developers, those who made Subnautica a breakout indie hit, say it was ready for players. What we do know is that Subnautica 2 will now swim into early access sometime in 2026, and fans hoping to return to the mysterious depths of Planet 4546B will need to wait a bit longer.