Krafton Dropped as Subnautica 2 Publisher on Steam

Krafton no longer appears as publisher on Subnautica 2's Steam page. Only Unknown Worlds Entertainment lists as publisher following a change instituted on April 7.

The update surfaced recently on social media platforms like Bluesky and Reddit. Polygon has reached out to Krafton for comment and will update the story upon response. Subnautica 2 remains slated for Steam Early Access release in May on Windows PC and Xbox Series X.

This development continues a legal battle that began last summer. Krafton delayed the game's Early Access launch, sparking a dispute over a potential $250 million payout to Unknown Worlds. Krafton also fired the studio's CEO and other leadership at the time.

Last month, a judge ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as Unknown Worlds CEO and refrain from obstructing his authority over the Early Access launch. Krafton soon announced the May release window. Gill argued to the judge that the announcement disregarded the game, team, community, and court opinion, as he had not yet reviewed the studio's work.

Krafton owns Unknown Worlds, leaving unclear what removing itself as publisher entails. The change may serve optics or signal ongoing legal issues.