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Subnautica 2 will finally launch into early access in May. The long-awaited survival game sequel has been held up amid a long-percolating dispute between publisher Krafton and several of the original heads of developer Unknown Worlds. Now, in the wake of the legal ruling that reinstated Unknown Worlds CEO Ted Gill, the game is ready for the public.
"We want to take a moment to sincerely thank every member of the Unknown Worlds team and our partners," Steve Papoutsis, who served as CEO while Gill was out, says in a message to the devs that's been shared by IGN. "Over the past nine months, you have worked incredibly hard to bring Subnautica 2 close to the finish line. That effort has resulted in a game we are truly proud of, one that each of us and our partners at KRAFTON unanimously determined is ready for Early Access release in May."
The May early access launch will cover both PC and Xbox versions of Subnautica 2. The specific date of the launch has not yet been confirmed.
"We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch," Papoutsis continues. "Our priority is getting this game into the hands of the community that has been eagerly waiting for it—and that means honoring the work you have already done to make that possible."
As part of the legal decision that reinstated Gill, the judge also enjoined Krafton from making any effort to impede Gill's ability to decide when Subnautica 2 launches. According to the judge's ruling, Krafton boss Kim Chang-han feared that he'd agreed to a "pushover" contract with Unknown Worlds that would result in a $250 million payout to the company's heads, and so "consulted an artificial intelligence chatbot to contrive a corporate 'takeover' strategy"
"The team has made meaningful progress following the milestone review approved earlier this month, and has been working toward an Early Access release in May," Krafton says in a statement to IGN. "While we respectfully disagree with this week's court ruling and intend to explore all legal avenues, our goal is to minimize disruption to the team and to the release plan. We remain committed to an open development approach, working closely with the community as development continues, and are focused on delivering the best possible experience to players."
