Dauntless dev lays off over 100 people as it cancels in-development projects

By Carli Velocci Published May 16, 2024

A monster stalking two characters in the dark in Dauntless, — Phoenix Labs

Phoenix Labs is seeing its third round of layoffs in just over a year. According to reports, over 100 people were affected this time around and projects have been canceled.

The company confirmed the layoffs in a post on LinkedIn, citing a restructuring that would allow it to focus solely on its flagship titles: the free-to-play Dauntless and cozy life-sim Fae Farm. While it did not confirm the exact number of layoffs, Polygon reports that there were over 100 people affected.

“We are reorganizing Phoenix Labs to focus on our best-in-class live service titles, Dauntless and Fae Farm, and serving their communities,” the statement reads. “This unfortunately means canceling work on all other projects at the studio, which will impact many of our colleagues immediately.”

Some workers took to LinkedIn to discuss the layoffs, with some claiming that they were working on unannounced projects that were shut down. One gameplay programmer said that they were working on a game that was expected to get announced in three weeks (likely during one of the summer game showcases).

Phoenix Labs experienced two rounds of layoffs in 2023. In May, the company announced that it laid off around 9% of its workforce to focus on “fewer development projects” like Fae Farm and Dauntless. This came just one month after it bought its independence from Garena, a developer and publisher based in Singapore that acquired it in 2020. In December, Phoenix Labs confirmed an additional 34 layoffs across its “HR, IT, and shared services teams.” Additionally, the CEO and COO stepped down in September for personal reasons.

Multiple sources, both on X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn, claim Phoenix Labs was bought by Forte, a platform that allows developers to integrate blockchain technology into their games, although this move was never officially confirmed.

Topics

Tech News

Contributor, Games

Carli is a technology, culture, and games editor and journalist. They were the Gaming Lead and Copy Chief at Windows Central…

Gaming

Ubisoft confirms Assassin’s Creed remakes are in the works

Basim perched on a ledge overlooking Baghdad

In a company interview with CEO Yves Guillemot posted on the Ubisoft website Thursday, the executive reveals that there are remakes of Assassin's Creed games in the works, although he doesn't specify which ones.

"Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them," he says, implying that it could pertain to games made before Odyssey. "There are worlds in some of our older Assassin's Creed games that are still extremely rich."

Gaming

Surfaced patent shows what an Xbox streaming console would’ve looked like

An Xbox Series X sits next to both Series S models.

There have been a few Xbox devices that have never come to fruition, one of which was Keystone, a prototype for an affordable game streaming device you could hook up to your TV or monitor. Thanks to a surfaced patent, we've gotten an even closer look at what it would've potentially looked like.

The patent, first spotted by Windows Central, gives us a more complete view of the device. We've previously seen the Keystone in the flesh. Microsoft Gaming head Phil Spencer is known for hiding teases and interesting collectibles on the shelf in his office. In a 2022 X (formerly Twitter) post congratulating Bethesda on Fallout's 25th anniversary, you can see a small white device on the top shelf that's actually a Keystone prototype. Xbox told Digital Trends that it was a version of the device made before it decided to "refocus our efforts on a new approach.”

Gaming

Wordle Today: Wordle answer and hints for June 28

Someone playing Wordle on a smartphone.

We have the solution to Wordle on June 28, as well as some helpful hints to help you figure out the answer yourself, right here. We've placed the answer at the bottom of the page, so we don't ruin the surprise before you've had a chance to work through the clues. So let's dive in, starting with a reminder of yesterday's answer.
Yesterday's Wordle answer
Let's start by first reminding ourselves of yesterday's Wordle answer for those new to the game or who don't play it daily, which was "ORDER." So we can say that the Wordle answer today definitely isn't that. Now, with that in mind, perhaps take another stab at it using one of these Wordle starting words and circle back if you have no luck.
Hints for today's Wordle
Still can't figure it out? We have today's Wordle answer right here, below. But first, one more thing: Let's take a look at three hints that could help you find the solution, without giving it away, so there's no need to feel guilty about keeping your streak alive -- you put in some work, after all! Or just keep scrolling for the answer.

Today’s Wordle includes the letter D.
Today’s Wordle uses two vowels.
Today's Wordle can refer to a large number of animals, particularly livestock like cattle or sheep, that are moving together in a group.