Dauntless launches out of beta and onto the Epic Games Store next week
Less daunting than hunting Rathalos
Dauntless, the free-to-play Monster Hunter-alike by Phoenix Labs is due to launch out of open beta next week, finding a new home on the Epic Games Store. On May 21st the game officially launches on PC, making its debut on consoles too. Phoenix Labs are aiming for universal cross-platform play eventually (including Switch and mobile versions later on), with PC and Xbox One players sharing servers first, and PS4 players hopefully coming later once negotiations with Sony are over. Below, the developer's answering some player's questions in the run-up to launch.
The game has seen some major upgrades recently on PC. Last month's Path of The Slayer update was one of the largest to hit the game so far. You can see the full patch-notes here, and even the abridged version is lengthy. They overhauled progression through the game, along with a revised tutorial, and added more lower-level variants of monsters to hunt. They also added several new weapon special moves, unlocked through the new Mastery system, a progression-chain of objectives, including bonus goals for each monster type.
While I've not had a chance to dive into its recent iterations, what I have played of earlier Dauntless painted a picture of a lighter, breezier game than Monster Hunter, more geared towards 10-20 minute sessions. Progression through its various monsters (ideally in four-player parties) is quick, with a focus on cosmetic gear and dyes as the most lucrative rewards to chase. In a lot of ways, it feels like Fortnite's fantasy RPG cousin, with a similar aesthetic and seasonal 'Hunter Pass' progression chains, which can be boosted and expanded by putting down money. The current barbarian-themed season ends on May 22nd, making way for the ninja-themed fifth season.
Dauntless launches next Tuesday, May 21st. You can find it on its official page here, and soon on its Epic Game Store page here. Players previously launching the game standalone will be able to bring their accounts over to Epic soon.