Dauntless' six-year run is finally coming to a close. Phoenix Labs has confirmed that the free-to-play monster-hunting RPG will be shutting down on May 29, 2025.
From that date forward, the game will be unplayable, and no further updates or content will be added. The news was shared via a brief statement on the game's X account, where the developers thanked players for being part of the journey. For long-time supporters, this might be the closure they've been dreading after months of uncertainty. However, the decline of Dauntless didn't happen overnight.
One of the biggest turning points for Dauntless happened behind closed doors. According to Game Developer's 2024 report, Phoenix Labs was acquired by Forte Labs in 2023, but the deal remained under wraps and was never publicly disclosed. Employees were allegedly instructed not to reveal the acquisition, which kept the studio's new ownership a secret for close to a year.
Forte Labs, a blockchain company, had previously invested in projects related to cryptocurrency gaming and NFT-based ecosystems. The exact goals for Phoenix Labs were unclear, but former staff revealed that Forte started pushing for more financialization of in-game assets. The acquisition also marked the beginning of mass layoffs and internal instability as the company started shifting priorities.
Over 100 employees were cut by May 2024, and then came another round of layoffs in early 2025, leaving behind just a handful of people. Phoenix Labs had other projects in the pipeline while Dauntless was struggling, but they too were eventually axed.
A major canceled title was Project Dragon, a multiplayer RPG that fused aspects of Minecraft and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. The team had been working on the project for early access, but it was unexpectedly scrapped, and everyone was laid off.
At this point, Phoenix Labs was barely functioning as a studio. Several teams within the company were let go, and new content development stalled. With no new updates planned and player engagement at an all-time low, the decision was made to shut down Dauntless completely.
Sadly, much like other live-service games, Dauntless fell victim to corporate mismanagement and a push for aggressive monetization.
Players had a few months to enjoy the game before it would be gone forever.