Subnautica 2: Co-founder Claims Game's Ready, Publisher Disagrees on Early Access

07/07/2025 Adventure

So, there's been some serious drama going down at Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Subnautica 2. One of the co-founders, Charlie Cleveland, came out with a statement that kinda makes you go, "Hmm, interesting." Apparently, he and a couple of other bigwigs got the boot from their leadership positions by Krafton, the publishing overlords. Ouch! It definitely "stings", as he puts it.

To give you the quick rundown, Krafton basically said, "Thanks, but we're gonna put our own guy in charge," and brought in Steve Papoutsis, who's got experience with games like The Callisto Protocol and Dead Space. The official reason? Well, it's a bit murky, but it sounds like Krafton wasn't thrilled with how fast things were moving.

Here's where it gets juicy. Cleveland claims that Subnautica 2 is "ready for early access." That's a pretty bold statement, especially since Krafton seems to be implying that the game needs more work before it's ready for prime time. It's like when you think your essay is perfect, but your teacher's like, "Needs more... everything."

Why the disagreement? Well, Cleveland hinted that Unknown Worlds has a history of involving the community early. As he said, the original Subnautica benefited from an early access release. On the other hand, Papoutsis's previous studio is notorious for pushing out a broken shooter due to crunch, which could mean Krafton wants to avoid the same mistake. Now that's a valid point! Maybe Krafton is aiming for a smoother, more polished launch this time around. I think that everyone would want a polished game instead of a broken one.

So, what's next for Subnautica 2? According to Unknown Worlds, the release schedule is being reviewed. We'll have to wait and see what happens. I can't wait!