The $250 Million Bonus and the ChatGPT Blunder That Saved Subnautica 2

It is a scenario that sounds like corporate satire, yet it is the real-life backdrop to the release of one of Steam’s most-wishlisted games. When Krafton CEO Changhan Kim found himself on the hook for a potential $250 million bonus tied to Subnautica 2’s commercial success, he didn’t seek legal counsel or industry advice. Instead, he turned to ChatGPT.

The result was not just a PR disaster, but one of the most embarrassing instances of AI reliance on record. Kim asked the chatbot how to avoid paying the bonus, and in June 2025, he relayed a message stating it would be "difficult to cancel the earn-out." Fearing he had agreed to a "pushover" contract, the CEO contrived a corporate strategy to fire the studio heads and escape the payout.

That strategy failed spectacularly. A Delaware judge has now ruled in favor of the ousted leadership, forcing Krafton to reinstate Subnautica 2’s CEO Ted Gill and keeping the massive financial incentive alive. Now, as the game launches in early access this week, the question remains: will the game be good enough to trigger that bonus?

A Lawsuit That Slapped Krafton with an UNO Reverse Card

The drama began in July 2025, when Krafton abruptly fired Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill and founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire. The publisher’s initial justification was that the studio was attempting to release Subnautica 2 prematurely, claiming the build was so flawed it would cause "irreversible harm to the entire IP franchise."

This narrative fell apart under scrutiny for several reasons:

  • The Timing of the Cancellation: Just weeks before the firings, PC Gamer was preparing a cover story for the game. We were awaiting artwork in June 2025 when we were suddenly told the studio could no longer commit to the feature. The sudden shift from "cover story ready" to "unreleasable disaster" seemed suspiciously convenient for Krafton.
  • The Bonus Structure: According to reports from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the ousted heads were entitled to a $250 million bonus, a portion of which would have been distributed to studio staff. The lawsuit alleged that Krafton fabricated the "unready" narrative specifically to avoid signing this check.
  • The Shifting Legal Grounds: Krafton later changed its tune, alleging that Gill and the others had "abandoned" their jobs and stolen confidential data. However, Delaware Judge Lori Will dismantled this claim. She noted that while Cleveland and McGuire did back up data, they did so after being fired to protect their work product during Krafton’s hostile takeover. Crucially, you cannot fire someone "for cause" based on actions they took after their employment was terminated.

Judge Will’s decision was scathing, particularly regarding the AI involvement. She wrote that Kim had used the chatbot to "get faster answers" and had been advised that canceling the earn-out would be difficult, yet he proceeded with the termination anyway. This evidence was pivotal in the ruling that reinstated Gill and extended the eligibility deadline for the bonus.

Subnautica 2 Launches Amidst Corporate Aftermath

Subnautica 2 is set to release in early access on May 14, bringing the corporate theater directly to the players. While the Steam page no longer lists Krafton as the publisher, this is a cosmetic change; Unknown Worlds remains a subsidiary, and Krafton states it is "supporting the early access launch."

For Krafton, the stakes are higher than ever. The company’s initial claim that the game was too broken to release is now on trial in the court of public opinion. If Subnautica 2 sells well, that $250 million bonus becomes real.

The original Subnautica remains one of the most popular survival games of all time, earning an 89% review score upon its 2018 release. Replicating that success is a tall order, but founder Charlie Cleveland has consistently expressed bafflement at Krafton’s claims that the game needed more time. He maintained, even after his firing in July 2025, that the title was ready for primetime.

What to Expect in Early Access

Unknown Worlds has set a clear timeline for the game’s development. The studio expects it will take two to three years before Subnautica 2 reaches its 1.0 milestone. The current early access version is intended to be the foundation, with plans to expand significantly over time.

According to the official Steam page, the goal for the full version is to deliver a "more polished, feature-rich version of the game with more content than at Early Access release." Players can expect the studio to release updates adding:

  • New biomes and creatures
  • Additional craftables and features
  • Expanded narratives

The studio also notes that they will continue to improve the game experience through bug fixes and optimization, largely relying on player feedback.

For Krafton, the early access launch is more than a product release; it is a financial litmus test. The corporate drama involving the CEO’s reliance on ChatGPT has ended with a legal loss, but the final verdict on whether that $250 million bonus is paid out will come from the players who dive into the depths of Subnautica 2 this week.