Subnautica 2 maker Unknown Worlds was set for a large $250 million payout this yr if it hit sure income targets, Bloomberg reported yesterday. However a recent delay of probably the most wish-listed video games on Steam makes that nearly unattainable. Writer Krafton, which modified the discharge schedule in opposition to the objections of the studio’s founders, now denies that it did so to keep away from paying the bonuses.
“This determination was primarily based solely on our dedication to high quality and to delivering the very best expertise for gamers,” the South Korea-based firm which additionally owns PUBG advised IGN in an announcement responding to Bloomberg’s report. “It was not influenced by any contractual or monetary concerns. Moreover, the choice had already been below dialogue previous to current management adjustments on the studio.”
Unknown Worlds cofounders Charlie Cleveland, Max McGuire, and CEO Ted Gill had been fired final week, regardless of Krafton promising the studio independence when it was bought again in 2022. Cleveland later wrote on Reddit that the sport was able to launch in Early Entry later this yr as initially deliberate, calling the transfer from Krafton to interchange the studio’s management a “shock.”
The writer now says that the choice to delay Subnautica 2 grew out of destructive suggestions from playtests. “We obtained worthwhile suggestions from our group that strengthened our confidence within the sport’s route,” it wrote in its new assertion. “On the similar time, the suggestions highlighted just a few areas that might profit from additional refinement earlier than launch. As group voices play a central position in how we form our video games, we’ve made the choice to offer the event workforce extra time to implement that suggestions and ship a extra full expertise.”
A spokesperson for the writer didn’t instantly reply when Kotaku requested concerning the timing of the destructive playtest suggestions. A developer replace posted on YouTube confirmed Subnautica 2 can be coming to Early Entry in 2025 again in April. It’s unclear what would have meaningfully modified in simply two months to steer Krafton to overrule the studio’s management and exchange them, jeopardizing fan enthusiasm for the sport within the course of. “Subnautica’s soul has simply been ripped out,” one fan not too long ago wrote.
Subnautica gamers have began revolting on the sport’s subreddit. A thread calling on followers to not buy the sequel when it comes out already has over 43,000 upvotes. Others have referred to as for gamers to flood Krafton with an offended write-in marketing campaign. The writer has even been in comparison with Alterra Corp., the fictional in-game firm recognized for hogging sources and mistreating workers. The entire episode has additionally reignited followers’ fears about Subnautica 2 being plastered with microtransactions.
A monetary report from Krafton final yr claimed the sequel was being designed utilizing the “Video games as a Service” mannequin. “In reference to ‘Video games-as-a-Service,’ we merely plan to repeatedly replace the sport for a few years to return, similar to the earlier two Subnautica video games,” the event workforce rushed to make clear on the time. “Suppose our Early Entry replace mannequin, expanded. No season passes. No battle passes. No subscription.” Some gamers now fear, with the founders gone, that may not be the case.
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