Krafton and Subnautica developer Unknown Worlds ongoing legal battle has sunk to new depths. Their bitter fight over $250 million development bonus is now under public scrutiny. Fans are decrying this situation as a clown show. The scandal took a bizarre turn as allegations about both sides pivoting to artificial intelligence further angered the dedicated community of this game.
Fans condemn corporate clown show between Krafton and Subnautica 2 developers
The gaming community is reacting to the ongoing legal battle. Above all, they are surprised with the news of AI’s use, by both ends. It has led them to respond to this news with a mix of disbelief and fury. They are even picking Unknown Worlds’ side over Krafton. It happened after they got to know CEO Kim Chang-han was trying to avoid developer bonuses and went to ChatGPT for a solution. Both X and Reddit are now the central hub for this outcry.
The sentiment coming from fans shows extreme disappointment. “Imagine going to ChatGPT instead of just paying people what they earned… unbelievable drama,” an X user stated. The user captured the absurdity of this situation that many are feeling.
A fan’s frustration directed towards corporate mentality stated, “i’ve said it once and i’ll say it again: to executives, workers are nothing more than a cost sink.”
A broader distrust was further echoed by another observer of this entire situation. The user talking about it simply stated, “There is a reason people don’t like the rich.”
Krafton loses fans trust
Trust within the publisher, Kraft, seems to be severely damaged. It seemed clearly visible within a few comments that were combinedly stated by an X user. The user wrote, “I don’t understand how any studio can trust Krafton after the ai thing AND after what they did with subnautica.”
Another user further pointed to the non-ironic interview that Subnautica 2 developers had after cracking a deal with Krafton. The user stated, “I still can’t get over that one interview from last year with a Subnautica 2 dev who spoke positively about the new deal with Krafton… That aged like a bottle of milk on the surface of Venus.”
The fallout between developer and publisher seems to be impacting consumer behaviour. It was confirmed by the X user who said, “I ignored Krafton on steam the second they pulled that move with the Subnautica Devs. Their only goal is to make money. There’s a reason they tried to sue Fortnite when it came out. The open mic lobbies PUBG once had will never happen again, sadly.”
A deeper look into how fans and observers are feeling
On Reddit, the fan comment seems to be more detailed and critical. The sentiment is that “none look good after the dig into both ends.” Users are describing this whole situation as “bizarre.” As per them, both management teams are to be blamed. One side sees the founder checking out to work on “AI elf movie.” The other (Krafton) is seen as “caricature of comically inept cost cutting.”
One of the most shocking revelations is how both ends seem to be entangled within AI’s use. Redditors are just baffled that “both ends of this clown show are pivoting to AI.” This entire situation is being framed like an incompetence’s perfect storm. A user notably in regards said, “It really does feel like two people shaking Magic 8 Balls trying to figure out how to get what they want.”
Many users are even calling out for a fair situation. As per them, “throw both Krafton execs and the previous Subnautica lead under the bus and give all the money to the devs who actually worked.”
What is the legal battle between Krafton and Subnautica 2 developers all about?
At the heart of this legal battle are some allegations from the latest court filing surrounding Krafton’s founders. As per the claims, Krafton initiated some “Project X.” It was a secret project with the sole purpose of avoiding $250 million developer’s bonus payout. The plan, as per reports, included either forcing a new deal upon the founders or executing a full takeover of the studio.
One of the most bizarre details involves Kim Chang-han, CEO of Krafton. As per the filing, it’s been alleged that after knowing it would be difficult to avoid payout, Kim turned towards AI for helping him to “brainstorm ways to avoid paying the earnout.” As per the document, even ChatGPT advised that it will be “difficult to cancel this earn-out.”
Krafton is denying this characterization. As per their counter, former executives refused to return to work and retained confidential documents. With two sides now preparing for the trials, fans can just wonder how this all will turn out and who will win the case.
