--- title: "CEO Accused of Asking ChatGPT About Something Absolutely Wild" description: "The CEO of a video game publisher has been accused of asking ChatGPT how to wriggle out of paying out a massive $250 million bonus." date: "2025-11-18" modified: "2025-11-18" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/court-case-ceo-chatgpt-subnautica-2" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # CEO Accused of Asking ChatGPT About Something Absolutely Wild ![The CEO of a video game publisher has been accused of asking ChatGPT how to wriggle out of paying out a massive $250 million bonus.]() *Getty / Futurism* The CEO of a video game publisher has been accused of asking ChatGPT how to wriggle out of paying out $250 million in bonuses. As [*Kotaku* reports](), the three cofounders of the video game developer Unknown Worlds, which is behind the popular "Subnautica" franchise, sued the game's publisher, Krafton, after [being abruptly fired]() in July. It was a dramatic ousting that shook the gaming industry, raising questions over the franchise's hotly anticipated sequel, whose release date was pushed back to 2026 at the time. (The game is currently the [most wishlisted upcoming game ]()on digital distribution service Steam's charts.) The studio's cofounders allege that they were fired so that Krafton could avoid paying out their enormous bonuses, which were based on "Subnautica 2" hitting certain sales milestones. A pre-trial briefing reviewed by *Kotaku* alleges that "Krafton terminated the Founders and seized control of Unknown Worlds in order to avoid the earnout." "Smoking gun documents show that Krafton was looking for ways to 'cancel the earn-out' and that its secret ‘Project X’ was designed to either make a 'Deal' on the earnout or execute a 'Take over,'" it continues. And that's not even the headline-stealing detail: documentation allegedly shows that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim had "turned to artificial intelligence to help him brainstorm ways to avoid paying the earnout. ChatGPT likewise advised that it would be 'difficult to cancel the earn-out.'" The cofounders allege that Krafton refused to "produce the ChatGPT conversations and, when pressed, confirmed that they no longer exist." If confirmed, it could be yet another instance of the tech being used for ill-advised purposes. Large language model-based tools like ChatGPT have long been shown to be highly unreliable, including when it comes to legal advice. Despite the risks, both [people representing themselves in court]() and [even lawyers]() have been caught making use of the tech, resulting in [cases that were hallucinated]() by AI being cited in court. Krafton has since shot back in a statement to *Kotaku*, claiming that the ChatGPT accusation is "simply a distraction from their own efforts to destroy evidence." Besides taking aim at Krafton's CEO, the Unknown Worlds cofounders accused the company of dealing damage to the studio's morale, ultimately forcing "Subnautica 2" to be delayed. In August, around the time the cofounders were abruptly fired, Krafton claimed that it was still willing to pay out bonuses to unaffected Unknown Worlds staff. However, Krafton told *Kotaku* that the "former leaders showed little interest in the development of 'Subnautica 2,' which has always been our top priority." In short, it's an ugly legal battle that left fans of the Subnautica franchise fuming. "DO NOT BUY SUBNAUTICA 2," reads one of the [most upvoted posts on the franchise's subreddit](), which was posted after Unknown Worlds cofounders were ousted. "This delay is simply so they don’t have to give those bonuses," the post reads. "They’ve already made 250 million dollars off of scamming developers. Don’t let them make more." Others made light of Krafton's CEO making use of ChatGPT. "Countdown to Krafton trying to argue in court with AI, citing fake cases," reads a comment on *Kotaku*'s piece. **More on ChatGPT:** [*Parents Using ChatGPT to Rear Their Children*]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()