Krafton CEO Used ChatGPT to Try to Deny Unknown Worlds $250 Million

Court documents show Krafton CEO Changhan Kim relied on ChatGPT to formulate a plan to deny the developers behind Subnautica 2 a $250 million bonus payment and take control of the studio and the game. A judge in Delaware found the plan illegal and a breach of contract.

The messy legal battle that started in 2025 between Krafton and Unknown Worlds wrapped up earlier today. Vice Chancellor Lori W. Will wrote that "As Unknown Worlds prepared to release its hotly anticipated sequel, Subnautica 2, the parties’ relationship fractured," and that internal projections showed the new title would easily trigger the earnout.

In June 2025, when Maria Park told Kim that firing the co-founders without cause wouldn’t void the earnout and might lead to a lawsuit, Kim "turned to ChatGPT for help," the judge wrote. "When the AI chatbot responded that the earnout would be ‘difficult to cancel,’ Kim complained to Park." At ChatGPT’s suggestion, Kim formed an internal task force called "Project X" to negotiate a deal or execute a takeover.

United States, Delaware

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