Subnautica 2 Development Continues Amid $250M Bonus Legal Fight

Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds has shared a new development vlog.

The 10-minute video offers a behind-the-scenes look at a brand-new deep-sea predator, detailing "how the team utilized Unreal Engine 5 AI to achieve realistic behavior, real-time reactions, and intense player encounters." This marks one of the first major development updates since the studio's entire leadership was dismissed following a very public dispute over a $250 million bonus from parent company Krafton.

The update highlights that the new giant squid-like predator, the Collector Leviathan, represents "the next evolution for the franchise—a creature that is both visually stunning and driven by sophisticated AI to create dynamic, high-tension encounters." The video showcases the "aggressive" initial confrontation players will face when they first encounter this enemy in Subnautica 2.

Here is the official description of the Collector Leviathan from Unknown Worlds:

The latest developer vlog provides an inside look at the creation of the Collector Leviathan, from early concept art by Visual Development Lead Cory Strader to insights from the Unknown Worlds development team. This creature was designed to push the boundaries of immersion and threat in Subnautica 2.

The Collector Leviathan is the first hostile leviathan players will encounter in Subnautica 2.Responsive AI: Utilizing Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and stimulus systems, it reacts in real time to light, sound, and player actions.Lifelike Movement: Fully simulated tentacle animation results in more natural and unpredictable interactions.Immersive Combat Design: A terrifying roar and powerful shockwave attacks heighten the sense of danger.

Antonio Muñoz Gallego, the creature's AI designer, stated: “The Collector Leviathan isn't just a monster that mindlessly attacks the player. It is an intelligent and highly dangerous deep-sea organism that actively responds to player behavior and hunts them down.” He added: “Our primary goal for our creatures was to make them feel reactive, so the Leviathan is constantly reassessing the situation in real time. To accomplish this, we use Unreal Engine 5 behavior trees and our own AI stimulus system.”

This vlog is a welcome piece of news for Subnautica fans. For many months, most news surrounding the game has focused on the bitter falling out between Unknown Worlds' founders and Krafton, which acquired the studio in October 2021. Earlier this summer, reports revealed that Subnautica 2's early access release was delayed to 2026, occurring just months before Krafton was scheduled to pay a $250 million bonus to the development team, a move reportedly made "against the wishes of the studio's former leadership."

Most recently, Krafton responded to the lawsuit filed by former Subnautica 2 leads, Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, disputing the developers' claims and alleging they "resorted to litigation to demand a multimillion-dollar payout they did not earn."

Subsequently, last month, Unknown Worlds itself filed a lawsuit against Cleveland, former CEO Ted Gill, and studio co-founder Max McGuire, accusing them of stealing game design files shortly before their termination.

It's noteworthy that, with Hollow Knight: Silksong now released, Subnautica 2 has become the most wishlisted game on Steam. This indicates that, despite the legal controversies, there is massive public interest in the title. This is perhaps unsurprising given the massive success of the original Subnautica, and it will be interesting to observe how fan sentiment develops as the sequel approaches its launch.

Subnautica 2’s Early Access release was recently pushed back to 2026.