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Steve Papoutsis
Steve Papoutsis is the CEO of Unknown Worlds Entertainment, appointed on July 2, 2025 when KRAFTON replaced the studio's co-founders. He oversees the development and release of Subnautica 2.
Career
Crystal Dynamics (late 1990s)
Papoutsis started his career at Crystal Dynamics, where he first worked with Glen Schofield. He is credited on Gex: Enter the Gecko (1998) and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver as a producer.
EA / Visceral Games (2005-2018)
Papoutsis spent approximately 13 years at Electronic Arts, primarily at the studio known as EA Redwood Shores (later renamed Visceral Games). He rose from Senior Producer to Executive Producer to General Manager.
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Dead Space (2008) | Senior Producer |
Dead Space 2 (2011) | Executive Producer |
Dead Space 3 (2013) | Executive Producer |
Battlefield Hardline (2015) | contributed as GM of Visceral |
He served as General Manager of Visceral Games until EA shut the studio down in October 2017. Papoutsis left EA in 2018 as a Vice President.
Baobab Studios (2018)
Papoutsis spent approximately 14 months at Baobab Studios, a VR animation studio, between his time at EA and Striking Distance.
Striking Distance Studios (2019-2025)
In 2019, Papoutsis joined Striking Distance Studios (a KRAFTON subsidiary) as Chief Development Officer, reuniting with Glen Schofield who served as CEO. The studio developed The Callisto Protocol (2022), a survival horror game set in the PUBG universe.
When Schofield departed in September 2023, Papoutsis was promoted to CEO of Striking Distance Studios.
Unknown Worlds Entertainment (2025-present)
On July 2, 2025, KRAFTON appointed Papoutsis as CEO of Unknown Worlds, replacing co-founders Charlie Cleveland and Max McGuire, along with CEO Ted Gill. See KRAFTON acquisition and controversy for the full context of this leadership change.
Response to community backlash
When Reddit communities called for a boycott of Subnautica 2 following the founders' removal, Papoutsis responded: "There have always been people that have come and gone." He later praised the fired founders as "great leaders" while noting their "limited involvement" in the game's day-to-day development.