Charlie Cleveland, co-founder and former CEO of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, has spoken publicly for the first time since being ousted from the studio behind Subnautica 2. The removal, which also included co-founders Ted Gill and Max McGuire, came as a surprise to fans—and apparently to the founders themselves.
On July 2, publisher Krafton abruptly replaced the studio’s leadership team, installing Dead Space and Callisto Protocol veteran Steve Papoutsis as the new CEO. In the days that followed, speculation swirled about internal disagreements surrounding Subnautica 2’s development.
Now, Cleveland has taken to Reddit under his long-used alias Flayra to set the record straight. In his July 4 post, he described the situation as “quite a shock” and admitted that it “stings” to be forced out of the franchise he helped build over the past 20 years.
“I feel sadness, confusion, and grief,” Cleveland wrote. “Being removed from the company and series I helped create was never something I expected.”
One of the most revealing parts of his statement is his claim that Subnautica 2 is already ready for early access—a stance that appears to conflict with the official message from Unknown Worlds and Krafton. Their statement urged fans to be patient, noting that the new leadership needs time to settle before announcing a concrete release window.
⚡ The Core of the Conflict
Cleveland’s comments highlight a potential rift between the former leadership and Krafton’s current direction. While the new CEO has yet to share a detailed roadmap, Cleveland made it clear that the previous team was confident in the game’s readiness for pre-release.
“We believed it was time to share it with the world,” he added, echoing sentiments from other ousted team members.
This public disconnect has raised questions about Krafton’s broader strategy—especially as it navigates industry-wide layoffs, game cancellations, and now, high-profile studio shakeups.
🔍 What’s Next for Subnautica 2?
As of now, Subnautica 2 remains in development with no specific early access date. While Cleveland’s departure marks the end of an era, fans hope that the vision of the original creators still shines through in the game’s next iteration.
The gaming community continues to monitor how Papoutsis and Krafton will steer the project moving forward. For now, Cleveland’s heartfelt Reddit post stands as a testament to the passion, uncertainty, and human side of game development.