KRAFTON Set to Pay Unknown Worlds $250 Million Bonus Following Subnautica 2 Sales

South Korean company KRAFTON has agreed to pay studio Unknown Worlds a promised multimillion-dollar bonus. According to sources from The Korea Economic Daily, KRAFTON took this step due to the strong sales of Subnautica 2. The game launched in early access on May 14, 2026, and sold over 4 million copies within its first five days. Analysts estimated gross revenue for the same period at $100 million.

The $250 million bonus stems from the acquisition deal made five years ago between KRAFTON and Unknown Worlds. When KRAFTON acquired the developers in 2021, they promised a total of $750 million. This included $500 million given upfront and an additional payment set aside for specific performance benchmarks expected to be met following the launch of Subnautica 2.

The bonus became a key issue in a legal dispute between the two companies last year. In the summer, KRAFTON dismissed three studio executives, which the executives claimed was an attempt to delay the release of Subnautica 2 and avoid the payouts. The court subsequently sided with the developers, ordering KRAFTON to reinstate the studio CEO and extend the bonus deadline. Neither KRAFTON nor Unknown Worlds commented on the report from The Korea Economic Daily.