Dauntless Developer Lays Off Majority Of Studio

Summary

Phoenix Labs faces layoffs, hinting at possible studio closure.
Majority of the studio affected, impacts Dauntless and Fae Farm.
Uncertain future for games, potential transfer, or shutdown.

Dauntless developer Phoenix Labs is the latest studio hit with layoffs, the studio announced. However, it seems like this layoff seems more like a studio closure than anything else.

Phoenix Labs, the developer behind live service games like Dauntless and Fae Farm, made the announcement on LinkedIn, where it confirmed that the “majority” of the studio are affected, though failed to give a specific number.

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Dauntless And Fae Farm’s Future Left Uncertain With Phoenix Lab’s Studio Layoffs

The announcement reads, “Today is another difficult day at Phoenix Labs. We have made the tough decision to part ways with the majority of the studio as part of unfortunate but necessary changes to our operations. We recognize and deeply appreciate the contributions of every individual impacted. Their talent, dedication, and creativity have left an indelible mark on our company and our games.”

When it comes to the two games, Phoenix Labs adds, “We will share more details in the coming weeks about what this means for Dauntless and Fae Farm. For now, our focus is on supporting those affected through this transition.”

This isn’t the first time Phoenix Labs laid off employees, as in May of last year, the studio laid off over 100 staff and even canceled all upcoming projects to focus on the two games the studio has out on the market.

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This continues the bloodshed in the first month of 2025. Less than a day ago, Ubisoft confirmed they are closing one of their UK studios, with 185 employees affected across various studios.

For those still playing Dauntless and Fae Farm, what does this mean for the free-to-play games? We’re currently unsure. Will Phoenix Labs transfer ownership of the games to another company? Perhaps try and run it with what crew they have left? Or worse case, they shut the games down completely? We don’t know for now, but once we know more, we’ll let our readers know.

Dauntless was released in 2019 for consoles and PC, and was a live service action-RPG where players take on Behemoths. The latest major release for the game, titled “Awakening” was pushed out on consoles and PC last month, which was met with criticism among the player base. due to the changes in progression and incorporation of loot boxes.

If you’re keen on checking the game out, I suggest doing so now while the servers are still up, as we can’t be certain it’ll stay up once the dust has settled.