Huge game played by over 15,000,000 people shutting down in days six years after successful launch

A major game enjoyed by more than 15 million people at its peak is preparing to bow out in just a couple of weeks.

We’ve seen it time and time again with once-popular titles shutting down servers or fading into obscurity.

This year alone, gamers are saying goodbye to several major titles, including MultiVersus on 30 May, xDefiant on 3 June, The First Descendant on 19 June and Resident Evil ReVerse on 29 June.

For some games, it’s simply a matter of player interest fizzling out, coupled with a very competitive market, making it no longer viable for studios to keep the servers running.

And some attempts to revive interest through remasters can sometimes create further disappointment, as we saw with Ark Survival Ascended, which was described as nearly 'unplayable' by many fans.

And now, another once-thriving title is set to join the list of shutdowns.

Six years after its successful launch, Dauntless is officially closing its servers on 29 May.

The free-to-play Monster Hunter-style RPG was available on PS4, PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC and boasted over 15 million players at its highest.

Developers Phoenix Labs announced: "Dauntless will receive no additional content or updates. The game will no longer be available to play on May 29, 2025."

On the game's website, the firm said: "We’ve made the difficult decision to shut down Dauntless due to the negative public reception of TK and subsequent decline of active players."

Phoenix Labs has been struggling to stay afloat for some time. The company laid off 140 employees to reportedly 'pave a path for a strong future,' as per Eurogamer.

Opening the discussion on Reddit, Dauntless fans explained that Forte, the blockchain company that acquired Phoenix Labs in 2023, 'ruined the game.'

One Reddit user described the disastrous update: "Its rework to the gear system meant that players would lose the weapons they had previously crafted.

They described that several parts of the game were 'predatory' and too focused on 'monetisation,' adding that 'weapons were no longer crafted but rather bought' and 'one of the new weapons was locked behind the premium path of the hunt pass.'

At that point, for the most part, the game was considered to be 'unsalvageable,' and fans are expressing their disappointment.

"The game is nothing like I remember it when it first launched," one person argued.

"Wow, what an actual mess Dauntless on steam was..," another replied. "I played it when it first launched and it wasn't bad but from my understanding it was far from a dead game when they put it on Steam. That 'update' ruined Dauntless".

Another added: "I dont know the game well, I was planning to play it some day. Wish there was a better way than shutting it down 100%."

But things aren't all bad, as players can expect some exciting new titles and updates to drop this year and next.