The founders of Unknown Worlds (Subnautica 2) win their first legal battle against Krafton
, by Thibaut
The legal battle between Krafton and the founders of Unknown Worlds studio may only be just beginning. The publisher is accused of dismissing the three men and delaying the release of Subnautica 2 to avoid paying a $250 million bonus to the development teams.
Krafton also accused the trio of abandoning their posts and downloading data deemed “confidential” before their departure. The South Korean firm went so far as to request a forensic analysis, which involves examining an information system after a cyberattack, and a request for document preservation.
Ultimately, the court dismissed these claims, acknowledging that Krafton "changed its version of events in the middle of the dispute over why it fired the founders and took control of Unknown Worlds." The founders revealed that the company had initially fired them for their "supposed intention to prematurely release Subnautica 2". The publisher then changed its story, stating that it had fired Max McGuire, Ted Gill, and Charlie Cleveland for downloading tens of thousands of company files.
The founders defend themselves by stating that these downloads were not illegal and that Krafton learned of this after their departure. The downloads could not therefore have been the reason for their dismissal. The two parties will now have to meet for a period of consultation.
Source: gamesindustry.biz