Free-To-Play ARPG Is Being Shut Down & Taken Off All Platforms With Almost No Explanation

Action RPG Dauntless is shutting down in a matter of months. First released in 2019 after a beta the year prior, Dauntless was a free-to-play game that borrowed quite a bit from a familiar gameplay formula. Players could choose from a variety of different weapons, each with its own unique fighting style, and fight a variety of monsters both big and small. It was often compared to a much simpler, "low-stakes" version of Monster Hunter, including in Screen Rant's review.

However, as announced on the official DauntlessX (formerly Twitter) page today, Dauntless is shutting down on May 29, 2024. It will no longer receive any further content or performance updates, says a representative of Phoenix Labs (also known for the cozy game Fae Farm) via the social media post. As it's an online-only game, it'll be entirely unavailable to play after 11:45 PM PST on that day.

ARPG Dauntless Is Getting Shut Down This May

Update From Phoenix Labs Confirms Dauntless' Closure

Dauntless' shutdown isn't terribly surprising in and of itself. It always struggled to find a foothold, especially compared to the much more established Monster Hunter, which had recently released the beloved Iceborne DLC for its highly successful game Monster Hunter World.

However, it always had a small but devoted fanbase, and to shut down the game with so little notice is odd, to say the least. Phoenix Labs states no reason for the closure in its announcement, repeating the same notice almost verbatim - just without the statement of gratitude - in a Steam Community post. But with a little digging, we can likely surmise what's really going on with Dauntless' sudden shutdown.

The Devs Behind Dauntless Have Had A Rocky Few Years

What Happened To Dauntless?

The beginning of the end for Dauntless came in December 2024, when the Awakening update to Dauntless changed many elements of the game's progression. Craftable weapons were removed, and largely replaced with a microtransaction-based system that allowed players to pay a premium in order to access a better arsenal. To make matters worse, many players found that this update effectively reset their progress, taking away items they'd spent hours grinding for.

A month later, a spate of layoffs hit Phoenix Games, according to its LinkedIn page, affecting "the majority of the studio." This followed a series of layoffs the previous May, which affected over 100 employees of the company. To me, though, it seems like Dauntless' shutdown is related, more than anything, to Phoenix Games' impending shutdown - it doesn't seem like the studio has many employees left at all.

But it's still a shame to see its developers and remaining players left in the lurch. I played a little bit of Dauntless at the beginning. I've always been a fan of Monster Hunter, so I was definitely part of the target audience. I enjoyed my first couple of hunts, but what turned me off the game, even in those early days, was its use of microtransactions. Back then, they weren't so bad - mostly cosmetic. I just didn't want to see the Hunt Pass waved in my face every time I logged in.

Characters from Eternal Strands and God Eater next to a monster from Monster Hunter.

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But it sounds like this issue only got worse over the years. With the Awakening update, it introduced some pay-to-win elements, which was the last straw for its most devoted fans. With its player base dwindling, and its workforce greatly diminished, Phoenix Labs' choice to shut down Dauntless only makes sense.