All articles tagged with #krafton
Krafton has discontinued PUBG Blindspot, a free-to-play PC spin-off launched in January, after two months in Early Access due to dwindling players, reiterating its policy of using Early Access to validate a game's potential while continuing work on other PUBG titles.
PUBG: Blindspot, a top-down 5v5 shooter from ARC Team and PUBG Studios, launched in early access in February but failed to attract players, leading Krafton and the developers to shut it down on March 30 after about 54 days of operation, a brief life that echoes the struggles of other live-service titles like Concord.
Krafton’s confirmation of a May Early Access release for Subnautica 2 sparks controversy after Unknown Worlds reinstated CEO Ted Gill; Gill’s lawyers accuse Krafton of contempt and leaking internal communications, arguing the court ordered Gill back with full operating control of the studio and the launch. Krafton says the memo simply celebrated past progress and does not strip Gill’s authority. The ongoing litigation centers on the timing of the ruling and the proper launch schedule as the parties seek to define who controls Subnautica 2’s release.
Unknown Worlds co-founders’ lawyers accuse Krafton of deliberately leaking a memo about Subnautica 2’s early-access launch in May, claiming the move violated a court-ordered judgment and harmed the game, team, and community; Krafton says the message simply celebrated staff efforts and milestone results.
A Delaware court ordered Krafton to restore control of Unknown Worlds to its leadership after Krafton attempted to oust the studio’s executives using a ChatGPT-guided plan to avoid paying an earnout of up to $250 million tied to Subnautica 2; the judge rejected Krafton’s dismissal justification, extended the earnout period, and returned governance to Unknown Worlds’ CEO Ted Gill while the dispute continues.
Krafton responded to a court ruling over Subnautica 2 by saying it disagrees with the decision but is evaluating options as it pushes to update and release the game in Early Access, while the leadership changes at Unknown Worlds and ongoing litigation over a $250 million earnout continue in the background.
A Delaware judge ruled Krafton breached its contract with Unknown Worlds in the Subnautica 2 dispute after firing the studio’s co-founders and attempting a covert takeover. Court documents show Krafton CEO Changhan Kim consulted ChatGPT for an 'earnout takeover strategy' and a 'no-deal' plan, including messaging to fans and actions to seize Subnautica 2 on Steam. The AI-guided guidance largely shaped Krafton’s moves, which the court deemed illegal, and the judge extended the $250 million earnout period to September 15, 2026, reinstated the co-founders and Unknown Worlds’ CEO Ted Gill, and limited Krafton’s interference with the game’s early access launch.
A Delaware judge ordered Krafton to reinstate Subnautica 2’s leadership at Unknown Worlds, ruling Krafton wrongfully terminated the co-founders and chief executive without cause and improperly seized control. The decision directs restoration of their operational authority and access to the game’s early access launch and Steam, while Krafton says it respectfully disagrees and may pursue damages. The ruling follows prior disputes over a $250 million bonus tied to Subnautica 2’s release and related actions, including Krafton’s handling of the executives and internal decisions; the enforcement path remains unclear for the game's release.
A Delaware Chancery Court ruled in favor of Unknown Worlds’ Fortis, finding Krafton breached the employees’ protection agreement by terminating Ted Gill and seizing control, and ordered Gill reinstated as CEO with restored operational authority over Subnautica 2’s early access launch, plus immediate Steam access. The ruling extends Gill’s control period and preserves the $250 million earnout, with a deadline pushed to Sept 15, 2026; Krafton says it disagrees and is evaluating options as further litigation continues.
A court ruled Krafton must reinstate Unknown Worlds’ CEO Ted Gill and the fired developers with full operating authority over Unknown Worlds and Subnautica 2’s Early Access, declare the board resolution ineffective, and extend the $250 million bonus payout window, potentially restoring eligibility for the earnout as the dispute proceeds.
A judge ruled Krafton breached its Equity Purchase Agreement with Unknown Worlds by firing Ted Gill and seizing control, ordering Gill reinstated and preserving his authority over Subnautica 2’s Early Access; the ruling also extends a $250 million employee payout window tied to revenue goals.
A Delaware judge ordered Krafton to reinstate Ted Gill as CEO of Unknown Worlds and restore his control over Subnautica 2’s Early Access launch and Steam access, ruling the firings pretextual and extending the earnout payout window as damages litigation continues.
Krafton has confirmed that Project Windless, the open‑world PS5 game based on The Bird That Drinks Tears, will not use generative AI for content creation or narrative elements. The Montreal team uses AI only in internal exploratory phases to aid iteration, while NPC behavior is driven by traditional AI with a craft‑driven, single‑player focus.
KRAFTON and KRAFTON Montreal Studio revealed Project Windless, a premium single-player open-world action RPG set roughly 1,500 years before The Bird That Drinks Tears. Built with Unreal Engine 5, the game centers on a continent-spanning conflict with four intelligent races, mass-scale real-time battles, and player-driven storytelling, and is planned for PC and consoles including PS5. A release date has not been announced and the game will not include multiplayer or live-service components.
Krafton and the former leadership of Unknown Worlds are embroiled in a legal dispute over a $250 million bonus related to Subnautica 2, with Krafton changing its justification for firing the founders from attempting to prematurely release the game to avoid paying the bonus to allegations of misconduct, amid ongoing court proceedings and public controversy.