Subnautica 2 Developer's Entire Leadership Team Replaced in Shock Move Krafton Said 'Will Bring Renewed Energy and Momentum'

Former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, is joining Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds arsenic CEO amid the daze announcement that the erstwhile enactment squad — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — person been replaced "effective immediately."

Unknown Worlds proprietor Krafton, which is down PUBG, failed to grow connected wherefore the enactment squad had been gutted, but said portion it "sought to support the Unknown Worlds' co-founders and archetypal creators of the Subnautica bid progressive successful the game's development," it "wishes them good connected their adjacent endeavors."

Krafton insisted Papoutsis volition "prioritize improvement momentum and delivering champion imaginable instrumentality experience" and "will bring renewed vigor and momentum." It is unclear what the alteration means for the motorboat model of the game.

Cleveland and Mcguire founded the 24-year-old company, portion Gill joined astir 7 years agone arsenic president earlier his promotion to CEO successful August 2024. At the clip of writing, each inactive database themselves arsenic moving astatine Unknown Worlds connected LinkedIn, suggesting the alteration came abruptly and with small warning.

"There is thing much important than the gamer experience. Given the anticipation astir Subnautica 2, we beryllium our players thing little than the champion imaginable game, arsenic soon arsenic possible," said CH Kim, Krafton's CEO.

"We are thrilled Steve is joining america successful our shared committedness astatine Krafton and Unknown Worlds to present Subnautica 2 arsenic a much implicit and satisfying introduction successful the bid — 1 that genuinely lives up to subordinate expectations."

Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds successful October 2021. At the time, it said the Sabnautica workplace would proceed to run arsenic an autarkic outfit.

The caller installment successful the Subnautica bid accommodates up to 4 players, taking them to an all-new planet, implicit with caller environments, flora, and fauna to discover. We inactive don't cognize erstwhile it's coming, but you'll beryllium capable to dive successful sometime aboriginal successful 2025 connected PC and Xbox Series X and S, including connected Game Pass for top-tier subscribers.

We thought predecessor Subnautica was amazing, awarding it a 9.1, writing: "Subnautica's a endurance crippled with absorption and an fantabulous sci-fi story, but its top accomplishment is its underwater horror." The past crippled successful the series, Subnautica: Below Zero, likewise scored an awesome 9 retired of 10 successful its IGN review.

Vikki Blake is simply a newsman for IGN, arsenic good arsenic a critic, columnist, and advisor with 15+ years acquisition moving with immoderate of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's besides a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her astatine BlueSky.