Massive Success | Krafton Pledges to Turn Subnautica Into a Franchise IP Following Record Sales

The depths of planet 4546B have never been more profitable. For the full launch story, see our Subnautica 2 Early Access coverage from the May 14 launch.

Despite a highly publicized and messy legal battle behind the scenes, Subnautica 2 has proven to be an absolute sales juggernaut for publisher Krafton and developer Unknown Worlds. According to Krafton's second-quarter 2026 financial earnings report, the highly anticipated underwater survival sequel surpassed a staggering 5 million units sold just 22 days after its Early Access launch on May 14, 2026.

The immediate financial success of the sequel has prompted Krafton to officially shift its long-term strategy. As reported by Matt Wales at Eurogamer, the publisher pledged in its earnings report to "maintain stable service through full launch and develop Subnautica into a franchise IP."

A Record-Breaking Quarter

The incredible performance of Subnautica 2 helped drive Krafton to a record-setting second quarter.

The publisher reported Q2 2026 revenue of 1.29 trillion KRW (approximately $898 million), a massive 94.9% jump year-over-year. During the first half of the current financial year, the entire Subnautica series, which includes the original game, the Below Zero expansion, and the new sequel, generated 232.5 billion KRW (roughly $161.8 million) in revenue.

While the game is currently only available in Early Access on PC and Xbox Series X/S, it is clear that Krafton views the property as a foundational pillar of its global portfolio moving forward.

Success Despite Legal Drama

What makes the 5 million sales milestone particularly impressive is the intense behind-the-scenes drama that preceded the launch.

Over the past year, Krafton and former members of the Unknown Worlds leadership team, including studio founder Charlie Cleveland, were locked in an acrimonious legal battle. The dispute centered around Krafton's decision to delay the game from 2025 into 2026, which the ousted leadership claimed was a deliberate move to prevent the developers from meeting revenue targets tied to a massive $250 million earnout bonus.

The legal tussle even included allegations that Krafton's CEO consulted ChatGPT on how to avoid paying the bonuses.

However, earlier this year, a US judge ruled in favor of the ousted Unknown Worlds team. As part of a subsequent settlement, Krafton agreed to pay the bonuses not just to the former executives, but to the entire staff currently employed at Unknown Worlds.

With the legal drama settled and the developers reportedly being compensated significantly more than initially planned, Unknown Worlds can now focus entirely on steering Subnautica 2 toward its highly anticipated 1.0 release.