(Image credit: Unknown Worlds Entertainment)

Who can't relate to this classic blunder: You promised the heads of the game studio you acquired a $250 million bonus if their game sold well, and now it's the most-wishlisted game on Steam and it's looking like you'll have to pay up. Ay, caramba! What's a CEO to do?

After consulting ChatGPT, the answer that Krafton CEO Changhan Kim came up with was to fire the studio heads despite not having a convincing reason to do so other than to get out of paying them $250 million. It didn't work out.

The studio in question is Unknown Worlds, and the game is survival adventure Subnautica 2 , which is out in early access this week—and still looks primed to hit whatever revenue goal will trigger that big payout, which is back on the table after a judge slapped an UNO Reverse Card on Krafton's plans.…