US EditionUS court rules against S Korean gaming company and its AI-hatched takeover plan
- Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will ruled that Krafton must reinstate Ted Gill and restore his control over Subnautica 2's Early Access release plans on March 16, 2026.
- Court findings show the publisher enacted a plan that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim led to avoid the earnout, including consulting ChatGPT during Project X and breaching the employment agreement by firing key employees without valid Cause after the July 1, 2025 Board resolution.
- Deal documents show that Krafton paid $500 million in 2021, with an earnout tied to a $69.8 million revenue threshold and $3.12 per additional dollar, projecting over 1.67 million copies sold.
- The court's ruling also extended the period to earn a $250 million payout, while Krafton told Kotaku it 'respectfully disagree with today's ruling' and is evaluating options as litigation continues.
- Nearly nine months after the July 1, 2025 firings, the ruling leaves Subnautica 2 release timing and earnout threshold unresolved while noting former employees returned downloaded studio data amid the dispute.
16 Articles
16 Articles
US court rules against S Korean gaming company and its AI-hatched takeover plan
WILMINGTON, Delaware, March 16 : A Delaware judge ordered on Monday that South Korean game developer Krafton Inc reinstate the head of one of its video game studios, ruling that he had been improperly removed as part of a takeover plan hatched by ChatGPT.Krafton's CEO Changhan Kim had largely followed the adv
One Of The Fired Subnautica 2 Devs Is Getting Their Job Back
In July 2025, three developers on survival game Subnautica 2 sued Krafton, the owner of their studio Unknown Worlds, claiming Krafton had intentionally delayed the game’s early access release to avoid giving them a $250 million payout. Krafton fired back with the claim that the developers had abandoned the project and stolen data. On Monday, a Delaware Chancery Court vice chancellor ruled that Krafton must rehire one of the developers, Ted Gill,…
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