Subnautica 2 publisher Krafton confirms internal document leak as legitimate

Krafton has officially confirmed the legitimacy of a leaked internal document in an interview with PC Gamer, which was shared on the Subnautica subreddit amid an ongoing dispute with Unknown Worlds’ former leadership.

The document states that the publisher planned more content and further polish before the title’s Early Access, resulting in the subsequent delay and removal of founding members of Unknown Worlds.

The internal presentation from May 2025 painted a picture that Subnautica 2 “currently lacks the freshness and volume expected of a sequel. The second slide mentioned that the game lacked key features necessary to meet Early Access launch targets. According to the internal document, the game was missing two biomes, one leviathan, one vehicle, and a game mode that had been scrapped.”

Furthermore, Krafton’s document stated that one narrative was postponed, cutting around 6 hours of content. Krafton stated: “The current target content volume has been reduced or adjusted across various elements such as biomes, creatures, equipment/progression, and features,” resulting in a “reassessment of the release time and roadmap.”

According to the publisher, the internal presentation was a part of its routine target review process conducted in collaboration with its creative studio. This was to make sure that the project met Krafton’s standards concerning quality.

Krafton affirmed,” Milestone reviews are conducted regularly in collaboration with Krafton’s creative studios across all projects.”

Krafton’s confirmation regarding the internal document complicates the story surrounding the fallout between Unknown Worlds’ Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, Max McGuire, and the publisher. The former key figures were removed from their positions amid the delay. 

Fans had earlier theorized that the former developers wanted more time to polish the game while Krafton pressured Unknown Worlds for a 2025 release, releasing the $250 million provisional bonus.

However, the internal documentation suggests the opposite. Krafton sought more content, delaying an Early Access launch, contradicting the theory that the publisher was rushing the development process.

Last week, Unknown Worlds co-founder Charlier Cleveland announced that the game was ready for Early Access. Krafton, on the other hand, accused the former leadership of “a profound sense of betrayal and abandoning the responsibilities entrusted to them.”

Krafton accused Cleveland of shifting his focus to a “personal film project” over Subnautica 2’s development. Since then, Cleveland, McGuire, and Gill have filed a lawsuit against Krafton, the details of which are unknown.

Reactions to the controversy have been mixed, as some fans support Krafton’s stance on delaying the game for a more polished Early Access release. On the other end of the spectrum, some members of the gaming community have criticized Krafton’s track record at handling titles like The Callisto Protocol, PUBG, and Inzoi.