Subnautica 2 is coming to early access in May

Just one day after a court ordered Krafton to reinstate the former leads of Unknown Worlds – the studio behind Subnautica 2 – the underwater survival game has landed an early access release month.

It's a month, not a specific date – but it's a concrete one: May, just two months away. The news comes via IGN, which also published a statement from studio head Steve Papoutsis addressed to the development team.

"Over the past nine months, you have worked incredibly hard to bring Subnautica 2 close to the finish line. That effort has resulted in a game we are truly proud of, one that each of us and our partners at Krafton unanimously determined is ready for Early Access release in May."

The statement also addressed the previously ousted CEO:

"We look forward to working with Ted Gill to support a smooth transition and work toward a successful launch. Our priority is getting this game into the hands of the community that has been eagerly waiting for it - and that means honoring the work you have already done to make that possible."

For anyone who missed the full saga between Krafton and Unknown Worlds leadership, here's a quick recap:

Last year, the publisher replaced Gill, co-founder Charlie Cleveland, and technical director Max MacGuire with the executives behind The Callisto Protocol. Krafton then decided to delay Subnautica 2, denying the developers a $250 million bonus.

The former leads sued the publisher, and Unknown Worlds as a studio filed a countersuit in response.

That all led to a Delaware court ruling ordering Gill, Cleveland, and MacGuire be reinstated, with authority over the early access launch and access to Steam restored.

IGN also published a statement from Krafton that appears to approve of the early access release:

"We can confirm that the internal message shared with the Unknown Worlds team is accurate. The team has made meaningful progress following the milestone review approved earlier this month, and has been working toward an Early Access release in May."

Krafton did "respectfully disagree with this week's court ruling," however, and intends to "explore all legal avenues." The drama is far from over.

In the meantime, Subnautica 2 is available to wishlist on Steam.