The future of Dauntless and Fae Farm unfortunately seems compromised. The studio Phoenix Labs has just made official the dismissal of a “majority” of its staff as part of “regrettable but necessary changes” to their activities. This news appears only a few weeks after the deployment of a controversial update on the studio's Monster Hunter-like. Following its launch on Steam, Dauntless welcomed a new monetization system criticized by long-time players, who also lost some of their progress at the same time. This failure must have dealt a final blow to the Phoenix Labs teams, already weakened by a buyout two years ago.
In 2023, blockchain specialist Forte Labs took advantage of the rise of NFTs and Web3 to buy several video game studios. At that time, the crypto industry wanted to forge the future of video game productions using these technologies. It is clear that the phenomenon did not last very long. Unfortunately, the studios that were acquired are now paying the price. After seeing Rumble studio closed and cancelled Phoenix Labs' cozy game Everhaven just days before early access launch, the carnage continues under the leadership of Forte Labs.
What does the future hold for the studio's remaining productions?
The tone used in Phoenix Labs' statement suggests that this decision is not their responsibility:
“We deeply recognize and appreciate the contributions of each person affected. Their talent, dedication, and creativity have left an indelible mark on our company and our games. We will share more details in the coming weeks about what this means for Dauntless and Fae Farm. For now, our priority is to support those affected by this transition. To our industry colleagues, we encourage you to reach out to these exceptional individuals, they are among the best in the business.”
Since Fae Farm is already a complete title with some DLC, the end of the development of updates and additional content will have little impact. This is far from being the case for Dauntless. Due to its nature as a live service online game, the studio's Monster Hunter-like could well disappear overnight, without a trace. Already Disappointed by the new direction of the title, the community of enthusiasts will certainly have to mourn. We can only hope that the final verdict is not as catastrophic. To be continued in the coming weeks.
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