The storm around Subnautica 2 keeps growing, and now the original minds behind the open-world survival hit are under fire. Developer Unknown Worlds has joined Krafton in taking legal action against Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire.

The legal saga of Subnautica 2 has taken yet another dramatic turn. After being dismissed from the project, creators Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire filed a lawsuit against Krafton demanding a $250 million bonus — a payout promised if certain revenue milestones were hit by 2025. Krafton quickly fired back, accusing them of abandoning the project and trying to force an early access launch purely to cash in. Now, Unknown Worlds has stepped in, filing its own lawsuit against the trio on nearly identical grounds.

According to documents obtained by Insider Gaming, Unknown Worlds alleges that the three creators neglected their duties on Subnautica 2. Cleveland, they claim, shifted focus to producing a film, Gill turned his attention to Moonbreaker, and McGuire — though still at the studio — failed to oversee development properly. These accusations closely mirror the ones Krafton previously laid out in its own legal defense.

The complaint also states that the trio pressured Krafton to release Subnautica 2 in early access even though the game was unfinished. When the South Korean publisher refused, the developers allegedly threatened to release it independently, generate revenue, and then demand their multi-million-dollar bonus anyway.

Subnautica’s original creators accused of stealing company data

Echoing Krafton’s claims, Unknown Worlds accuses the three men of stealing confidential company files. Between early June and July 1, 2025, McGuire reportedly downloaded nearly 100,000 files, Cleveland about 72,000, and Gill exported his entire email account. The studio further claims that none of them have returned their devices or confirmed what data they hold, and have even threatened to erase everything.

As a result, Unknown Worlds is demanding court injunctions against the trio, the return of all downloaded materials, and financial compensation. For now, it looks like this legal brawl is only just beginning, with more clashes ahead between the Subnautica creators, Unknown Worlds, and Krafton. Meanwhile, the studio continues development on the survival sequel, still targeting an early access launch in 2026.

Source: 3djuegos