On May 29, Phoenix Labs is permanently taking down its flagship game, Dauntless. The developer revealed its monster hunting title will receive “no additional content or updates,” or even be playable, after that date.
In recent years, Phoenix Labs conducted several waves of layoffs, including over 100 employees in May 2024. Weeks ago, the developer announced it’d laid off “a majority” of its remaining staff.
Dauntless first released in 2019 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. The free-to-play game tasked players with working together or alone to take down monsters (dubbed “Behemoths”), craft and upgrade gear, and do it again with bigger beasts. Days after its official launch, it had amassed over 6 million players, and holds the distinction of being the first game to launch with crossplay between PC, Xbox One, and PS4.
In late 2024, Game Developer reported the company’s alleged struggles after it’d been quietly acquired by Forte Labs. The blockchain firm purchased it in 2023, seemingly with the intent of integrating its technology in the studio’s games to financialize in-game assets. New management reportedly demanded that employees not reveal news of the purchase.
Former staff later revealed their work on ‘Project Dragon,’ one of the canceled titles described as a mix between Minecraft and Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
At time of writing, Phoenix Labs’ other game, Fae Farm, does not appear to be on the verge of shutting down.
In its brief declaration of the game’s demise, the studio thanked all players “for being a part of the Dauntless journey.”