Unknown World’s Subnautica 2 Drops Krafton as Publisher
The highly anticipated survival sequel to Subnautica just saw a big change, and fans are excited. On April 13, many have noticed that Subnautica 2 dropped Krafton as the publisher
The Unknown Worlds / Krafton story is a gift that keeps on giving. Looks like Krafton is out of the Subnautica picture entirely. I have thoughts about what this extrication deal might be (waive the earnout, dismiss any countersuits, Krafton doesn’t get a dime)… and if so, a good deal for Krafton.
— Mike Futter (@futterish.fsquared.biz) April 13, 2026 at 6:44 PM
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This comes in the midst of the legal dispute between the developer Unknown Worlds and the PUBG publisher that acquired the studio in 2021. While it was spotted by analyst Mike Futter on Bluesky, the change was made on April 7. Now, both developer and publisher duties are fully on Unknown Worlds Entertainment for Subnautica 2.
However, it should be noted that Krafton is still listed as the publisher of Moonbreaker, another game released by Unknown Worlds.
For fans of Subnautica 2, this is exciting news, especially after the legal battle between developer and publisher that’s been ongoing since last July, when Krafton delayed Subnautica 2‘s Early Access release. The battle started when Krafton fired the studio’s CEO as well as other members of the leadership team.
Thankfully, last month, a judge ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds, allowing him full authority over the game. After that, it was announced that Subnautica 2‘s Early Access release will be in May.
Since Krafton owns Unknown Worlds, it’s interesting that Krafton is no longer publishing the game. According to some outlets, like Polygon, Krafton being removed from the Steam page could be a way to distance Krafton from the game. Or, there could be more news on the way about the legal dispute.
While the details are murky, fans are excited about the news. In Mike Futter’s post, he commented on his thoughts, saying, “I suspect that whatever the deal is, it’s a good one for Unknown Worlds and a deserved black eye for Krafton.”
Futter made another comment less than a day ago, as of writing, that says, “Still looking through the history, but it does seem this pivot is aligned with the reinstatement/return of control. However, I don’t think this is the end of the story.”
“Would still love to see this end with Unknown Worlds independent again and Krafton taking a giant financial L.”
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