Former Striking Distance CEO, Steve Papoutsis, is joining Subnautica 2 developer Unknown Worlds as CEO amid the shock announcement that the previous leadership team — Ted Gill, Charlie Cleveland, and Max McGuire — have been replaced “effective immediately.”
Unknown Worlds owner Krafton, which is behind PUBG, failed to expand on why the leadership team had been gutted, but said while it “sought to keep the Unknown Worlds’ co-founders and original creators of the Subnautica series involved in the game’s development,” it “wishes them well on their next endeavors.”
Krafton insisted Papoutsis will “prioritize development momentum and delivering best possible fan experience” and “will bring renewed energy and momentum.” It is unclear what the change means for the launch window of the game.
Cleveland and Mcguire founded the 24-year-old company, while Gill joined almost seven years ago as president before his promotion to CEO in August 2024. At the time of writing, all still list themselves as working at Unknown Worlds on LinkedIn, suggesting the change came suddenly and with little warning.
“There is nothing more important than the gamer experience. Given the anticipation around Subnautica 2, we owe our players nothing less than the best possible game, as soon as possible,” said CH Kim, Krafton’s CEO.
“We are thrilled Steve is joining us in our shared commitment at Krafton and Unknown Worlds to deliver Subnautica 2 as a more complete and satisfying entry in the series — one that truly lives up to player expectations.”
Krafton acquired Unknown Worlds in October 2021. At the time, it said the Sabnautica studio would continue to operate as an independent outfit.
The new installment in the Subnautica series accommodates up to four players, taking them to an all-new planet, complete with new environments, flora, and fauna to discover. We still don’t know when it’s coming, but you’ll be able to dive in sometime later in 2025 on PC and Xbox Series X and S, including on Game Pass for top-tier subscribers.
We thought predecessor Subnautica was amazing, awarding it a 9.1, writing: “Subnautica’s a survival game with focus and an excellent sci-fi story, but its greatest achievement is its underwater horror.” The last game in the series, Subnautica: Below Zero, similarly scored an impressive nine out of ten in its IGN review.
Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.
