Subnautica Developer Responds To Leadership Change Controversy

Unknown Worlds, the developer currently working on Subnautica 2 and the creator of the franchise as a whole, has released a letter to the community that addresses the recent and extremely controversial change in leadership at the studio. This message has done little overall to ease the concerns of fans who have been anticipating Subnautica 2 since it was formally revealed late last year, with many fearing that the decision to replace the developer’s upper management will have negative, irreversible effects on the long-awaited sequel.

Krafton Inc, owner and publisher of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, announced earlier in July that the Subnautica 2 developer’s entire leadership team had been replaced by a new CEO, effective immediately. At the helm of the studio now is Steve Papoutsis, a veteran contributor to the gaming industry who has previously served as an executive producer on the Dead Space games as well as their spiritual successor, The Callisto Protocol. The original co-founders of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, Charlie Cleveland, Ted Gill, and Max McGuire, have left the company and are confirmed to no longer have a hand in the ongoing development of Subnautica 2.

Subnautica 2 Leak Could Completely Rewrite the Unwritten Rules of the Original

A new supposed Subnautica 2 playtest leak may completely flip the script on the original Subnautica’s traditional gameplay and starting scenarios.

This abrupt switch-up in management came as a massive surprise to the community, who were left with no clues as to what led to such a dramatic change behind the scenes. Many in the Subnautica 2 community have since taken to social media to protest the change and voice their concerns, to which Unknown Worlds has responded with a letter that attempts to clear up the situation and put fans’ worries to rest. In this post, the developer explains that they support Papoutsis as he transitions into his new position at the company, and that the rest of the development team working on Subnautica 2 remains unchanged.

Subnautica 2 Promises No Microtransactions, But Some Fans Are Skeptical

The developer goes on to clarify that they remain dedicated to the defining vision and values that made the original Subnautica what it is, and that these principles will be upheld as they continue to work on Subnautica 2 despite the recent change in management. Unknown Worlds has also reassured fans that, despite some popular concerns among the community, Subnautica 2 will not feature any kind of loot boxes, battle passes, or subscriptions, and will remain a single-player-focused experience with an optional multiplayer function. In a later revision to the post, Unknown Worlds has further clarified that Subnautica 2 will not include microtransactions of any kind.

Alas, Krafton also promised that Unknown Worlds would remain a creatively free and independent studio when the publisher acquired the studio back in 2021, even directly specifying in a press release at the time that “Unknown Worlds’ structure and leadership will remain in place to retain its unique creative identity.” It’s understandable that more than a few fans have lost trust in both the developer and the promises made in their latest post. Still, it’s yet to be seen how these changes will affect Subnautica 2‘s ongoing development ahead of its Early Access launch.