Today is the last day you can play Dauntless before it shuts down for good. The free-to-play monster hunting game has been around since 2019, but after a change in studio ownership and sweeping layoffs, Dauntless will no longer be playable in any form after today.
Often compared to Monster Hunter, but more beginner-friendly, Dauntless was generally well-reviewed when it first released in 2019 after just over a year in early access. The game was an early adopter of cross-progression and cross-play, initially releasing across PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
In 2023, developer Phoenix Labs was quietly acquired by blockchain company Forte Labs, around the same time as the company laid off around 9% of its workforce. Further layoffs and a game cancellation followed in 2024, and most recently the company laid off the majority of its workforce, shortly before it was announced that Dauntless would be shutting down.