What is happening with Subnautica 2 early access?
The Subnautica 2 early-access decision after the Krafton ruling
Subnautica 2’s development and release plans have been thrown into upheaval by a legal fight between developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton. The most consequential change for players is control over the sequel’s early-access release.
A Delaware judge has ordered Krafton to reinstate the fired Unknown Worlds CEO (Ted Gill) and to extend or restore a bonus package tied to employment terms. In the same set of orders, the judge also directed that Gill receive control over Subnautica 2’s early-access release.
That matters for timing and expectations because it shifts release authority away from Krafton’s prior leadership decisions. Instead of early-access plans being driven solely by the publisher’s timeline, the judge’s order makes it possible for the restored CEO to determine when the game is ready to enter (or re-enter) early access.
The coverage also states the judge’s ruling included an allegation that Krafton relied on ChatGPT for parts of its legal strategy. Separate items describe that court findings blamed Krafton for wrongful termination/control usurpation—strengthening the basis for the reinstatement and control changes.
What players can take away
- Gill is back in his role.
- Early-access release control has been put under his authority per the court order.
- The game’s early-access timeline may therefore depend on decisions made after reinstatement, rather than only on the publisher’s original plan.
No specific new early-access date was guaranteed in the excerpts tied to the ruling itself—only that the control question has been resolved by the court.