KraftonA lawsuit has accused Krafton CEO Changhan Kim of trying to avoid paying bonuses to Subnautica 2 developers, with court filings alleging he turned to ChatGPT for ideas. Krafton has denied the lawsuits claims.
As reported by PC Gamer, the claims surfaced through a legal dispute between Krafton and former executives at Unknown Worlds Entertainment, the studio behind the Subnautica series.
The lawsuit focuses on a $250 million earn-out tied to Krafton’s 2021 acquisition of Unknown Worlds, where former leadership alleges Krafton became increasingly concerned about hitting revenue milestones that would trigger the payout.
Krafton CEO allegedly turned to ChatGPT to avoid payout
According to the filing, Kim worried the payout would make him look like he had overpaid for the studio, something he allegedly framed as potential “professional embarrassment.”
The plaintiffs claim that Kim asked internal teams to search for ways to delay or reduce Subnautica 2’s commercial performance and consulted ChatGPT while exploring possible strategies. They describe this as part of a months-long effort to avoid or minimize the earn-out obligations.
KraftonKrafton denies all allegations and says the lawsuit “is without merit,” insisting Subnautica 2’s development is progressing as planned. The company maintains that the accusations misrepresent internal discussions and do not reflect how decisions around the franchise have been made.
The timing of the lawsuit has also drawn attention to Krafton’s wider corporate strategy, with the company revealing plans to become an “AI-first” studio on October 23.
Subnautica 2 is still slated for 2025, but the legal battle now hangs over the project, and it’s currently unknown if it will have any impact on its launch.