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The Latest Breaking News from Phoenix Labs

Monster Hunter's Free Rival Won Over Players, But Still Lost In The End

Phoenix Labs is closing the doors on its free-to-play Monster Hunter alternative 'Dauntless' two years after being acquired by a blockchain company.

Dauntless, the monster hunting game we had before Monster Hunter came to PC, will shut down in May

Dauntless, the monster hunting game we had before Monster Hunter came to PC, will shut down in May

The announcement comes just over a month after Phoenix Labs laid off the majority of its employees.

Dauntless is dead: After a blockchain company buyout, a disastrous update, and brutal layoffs, the Monster Hunter-like action RPG is shutting down this May

Dauntless is dead: After a blockchain company buyout, a disastrous update, and brutal layoffs, the Monster Hunter-like action RPG is shutting down this May

Dauntless "will no longer be available to play" after May

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Dauntless' Hail Mary: How the "Awakening Update" killed off Monster Hunter-like 'Dauntless,' and maybe even Phoenix Labs

Once touted by Epic Games of Fortnite fame, the free-to-play Monster Hunter-like "Dauntless" serves as a cautionary tale for all companies building live-service games.

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Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs lays off 'the majority of the studio' after a year of turmoil

The studio's last round of mass layoffs was in May 2024.

"I am so mad at the overlords I cannot even find the words": Dauntless dev lays off "majority of the studio" 2 years after a blockchain company bought it out

Ex-dev impacted by a previous wave of layoffs lamented the studio's fate

After an overhaul that gutted Dauntless's core gameplay loop, devs of the Monster Hunter rival offer up in-game currency as an apology and a roadmap offering little of what fans miss

It's still a far cry from the game it once was

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"We never would have made decisions that are so blatantly not player-focused": Ex-Dauntless dev "can't be silent" after an update under the dev's new owner "gutted the core gameplay and crafting"

"We never would have made decisions that are so blatantly not player-focused": Ex-Dauntless dev "can't be silent" after an update under the dev's new owner "gutted the core gameplay and crafting"

Original associate producer weighs in on Dauntless patch controversy

Dauntless's launch on Steam has gone horribly, horribly wrong with overwhelmingly negative reviews: 'This update is easily, out of every game I've ever played, the worst one I've seen'

Dauntless's launch on Steam has gone horribly, horribly wrong with overwhelmingly negative reviews: 'This update is easily, out of every game I've ever played, the worst one I've seen'

Players are out for blood.

"Where did all the content go?": Monster Hunter rival Dauntless debuts to "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam reviews as players rip into the action RPG's overhaul

"Where did all the content go?": Monster Hunter rival Dauntless debuts to "Overwhelmingly Negative" Steam reviews as players rip into the action RPG's overhaul

The removal of weapon crafting seems to have rattled monster slayers

Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios Group is closing the Montreal studio it acquired just 8 months ago

Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios Group is closing the Montreal studio it acquired just 8 months ago

Avalanche's New York office is also closing, and 'around 50' employees are being laid off.

Studio behind action RPG Dauntless and farming RPG Fae Farm sees major layoffs, "about 140" devs cut and 3-year game "abruptly canceled" mere weeks before reveal

Studio behind action RPG Dauntless and farming RPG Fae Farm sees major layoffs, "about 140" devs cut and 3-year game "abruptly canceled" mere weeks before reveal

Scrapped after three years of production

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs lays off employees and cancels in-development projects, says it's 'the last resort to ensure Phoenix Labs can survive'

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs lays off employees and cancels in-development projects, says it's 'the last resort to ensure Phoenix Labs can survive'

At least one cancelled game was reportedly set to be announced in June.

25 Best free PC games to play today

25 Best free PC games to play today

From The Sims to Fortnite, the best free PC games of 2025 offer huge experiences in exchange for absolutely nothing

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