Phoenix Labs, developer of Dauntless and Fae Farm, has laid off "the majority of the studio" according to announcements made earlier today on Reddit and LinkedIn, as part of what the studio called "unfortunate but necessary changes to our operations."
"We recognize and deeply appreciate the contributions of every individual impacted," Phoenix Labs said. "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 focus is on supporting those affected through this transition."
Today's layoffs are the second major downsizing at Phoenix Labs in less than a year, following a restructuring in May 2024 during which the studio laid off "many" employees and cancelled game development projects in what it called a "last resort to ensure Phoenix Labs can survive, and thrive in the long term."
That turmoil continued into December 2024, when Dauntless launched on Steam alongside a controversial overhaul update that rolled back player progress and implemented a restrictive monetization scheme, which saw the free-to-play Monster Hunter-like plummet to a near-immediate "Overwhelmingly Negative" review rating.
The May 2024 layoffs and Dauntless rework both followed the 2023 purchase of Phoenix Labs by blockchain firm Forte, during which—according to reporting from Game Developer—Phoenix Labs employees were directed not to publicize the acquisition.
The announcement doesn't specify how many employees have been put out of work, but staff affected by today's layoffs make it sound like a studio closure in everything but name. Joshua Hood, former Phoenix Labs lead designer, said in a LinkedIn post earlier today that "the decision was made to finally shut down Phoenix Labs."
I've reached out to Phoenix Labs and Forte for comment and will update if I receive a reply.
