Subnautica 2 Early Access Arrives in May After Court Ruling and Studio Dispute

Subnautica 2 will enter early access in May on PC and Xbox Series X|S, according to information first reported by IGN and confirmed by both developer Unknown Worlds and publisher Krafton. The announcement follows months of delays and a court decision that ordered the reinstatement of former Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill.

IGN revealed that the studio and publisher agreed that the underwater survival sequel is ready for early access, though an exact date in May has not been announced. The information came through an internal message sent to the development team by Unknown Worlds studio head Steve Papoutsis.

Papoutsis addressed the team directly in the message shared with employees.

“Team,” Papoutsis wrote. “We want to take a moment to sincerely thank every member of the Unknown Worlds team and our partners. Over the past nine months, you have worked incredibly hard to bring Subnautica 2 close to the finish line. That effort has resulted in a game we are truly proud of, one that each of us and our partners at KRAFTON unanimously determined is ready for Early Access release in May.”

The message explains that the development team expanded the game with new content during that period.

“Thanks to your dedication and talent, we’ve added more story chapters, built new creatures, and created new biomes along with many other features,” Papoutsis wrote. “With this progress, we have passed KRAFTON’s milestone review last week and are now ready to start our open development journey alongside our community.”

Papoutsis also told staff the studio believes the current version can meet player expectations.

“We have full confidence that we have reached a point where we can deliver an experience our players will love.”

The message also addressed the return of Ted Gill following the recent court ruling.

“We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch. Our priority is getting this game into the hands of the community that has been eagerly waiting for it—and that means honoring the work you have already done to make that possible.”

Krafton confirmed to IGN that Papoutsis’ internal message is accurate and that development is progressing toward the early access launch window.

“We can confirm that the internal message shared with the Unknown Worlds team is accurate,” Krafton said. “The team has made meaningful progress following the milestone review approved earlier this month, and has been working toward an Early Access release in May.”

The publisher added that it disagrees with the recent court decision.

“While we respectfully disagree with this week’s court ruling and intend to explore all legal avenues, our goal is to minimize disruption to the team and to the release plan. We remain committed to an open development approach, working closely with the community as development continues, and are focused on delivering the best possible experience to players.”

The confirmation follows a long dispute between Unknown Worlds and Krafton that began in 2025. Subnautica 2 had been targeting an early access release that year before the project was delayed after Krafton replaced the studio’s leadership in mid-2025.

During that period, former CEO Ted Gill, Unknown Worlds co-founder Max McGuire, and Subnautica designer and director Charlie Cleveland were removed from their positions. Krafton alleged that Gill and the other leaders had been “checked out” and had failed to deliver a version of the game ready for early access.

The dismissed leaders filed a lawsuit against Krafton. According to the complaint, the leadership believed the removal and delay were linked to a $250 million incentive bonus that would be shared among the entire Unknown Worlds team if Subnautica 2 launched on schedule.

The legal dispute included several accusations from both sides. During the proceedings, it was suggested that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim used ChatGPT to “brainstorm ways to avoid paying” the $250 million bonus.

Krafton responded with claims that the fired leaders had “referenced racist views toward Korea and the Korean people.”

Further reports indicated that Kim consulted ChatGPT while developing a legal strategy related to removing the founders and avoiding the incentive payment. The court ruling said Kim had been warned against relying on artificial intelligence for legal advice.

A judge ruled that Ted Gill must be reinstated to his role at Unknown Worlds and regain control over Subnautica 2’s development, early access period, and release. The decision also extended the deadline tied to the incentive bonus that sits at the center of the dispute.

The performance bonus window now runs until at least September 15, 2026, giving Gill, Cleveland, McGuire, and the rest of the Unknown Worlds team time to meet the conditions that would trigger the $250 million payout.

Although litigation between the parties continues, the ruling clears the path for Subnautica 2’s early access plans to move forward. Both Unknown Worlds and Krafton confirmed the May release window.

Subnautica 2 has maintained strong interest from players during the dispute. The sequel has been the most wishlisted game on Steam for months.

Questions about how far along the game was in development became central to the legal arguments between Krafton and the studio’s former leadership. Those discussions focused on whether the project was ready for early access or needed more development time.

Development continued throughout the legal conflict. According to Papoutsis’ message, the team added additional story chapters, new creatures, and new biomes before passing Krafton’s milestone review.

Players have already seen previews of several features. Last fall, the studio showed a new deep-sea predator that will appear in the game. A video released last month demonstrated how co-op multiplayer will work in Subnautica 2.

Marketing activity for the game slowed during the legal dispute, but the confirmation reported by IGN that the project is heading to early access in May indicates development has reached the stage where the studio plans to begin its open development process with players.

Subnautica 2 will release in early access on PC and Xbox Series X|S.