KRAFTON has agreed to pay former shareholders of studio Unknown Worlds a bonus payout of up to $250 million, according to a report by the Korean Economic Daily. The decision follows strong commercial performance of the survival simulator Subnautica 2.
The move comes after a prolonged legal dispute. Developers accused KRAFTON of deliberately delaying the game’s release to avoid bonus payments, while the publisher claimed that studio leadership had neglected the project. The legal case ultimately ended with the reinstatement of the CEO of Unknown Worlds.
Now, following the game’s commercial success, the publisher will fulfill its financial obligations.
Under the 2021 acquisition agreement of the American studio, KRAFTON committed to paying former shareholders $3.12 for every $1 earned (up to a maximum of $250 million) whenever the studio’s monthly revenue exceeded $69.8 million. The total bonus is considered exceptionally large for the industry and is estimated to represent roughly 35% of KRAFTON’s operating profit from the previous year.
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