Krafton is set to pay a $250 million bonus to the developers of Subnautica 2 after the game’s explosive Early Access launch.
In 2021, when Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the deal included an earn-out clause.
If the studio’s revenue from the Subnautica series exceeded $69.8 million, Krafton would owe $3.12 for every additional dollar generated, up to a maximum bonus of $250 million.
Subnautica 2 launched into Early Access selling over one million copies in the first hour and surpassing two million in just 12 hours.
These figures make it highly likely that the revenue targets will be comfortably exceeded before the court-extended deadline of September 2026.
Krafton had previously delayed the release and changed studio leadership to prevent the bonus from triggering.
A Delaware court ruled these actions were intended to avoid the payout, ordering the reinstatement of former CEO Ted Gill and granting additional time for the earn-out period.