Former BioWare, Riot, Capcom, Blizzard Devs Announce "Dauntless"

A new game named Dauntless has been revealed at The Game Awards, coming from indie developer Phoenix Labs, a group of ex developers from BioWare, Riot, Capcom, and Blizzard.

The Game Awards featured trailers for major games like Mass Effect: Andromeda, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Death Stranding. Apart from blockbusters, it also included some reveals from indie developers. One of those was for a never-before announced game called Dauntless. The title in particular comes from Phoenix Labs, a relatively unknown developer, but one that's being created by veteran devs from some big studios.

Dauntless will be an online co-op action role-playing game that puts players into an "untamed science-fantasy world" as they take the role of one of four elite warriors known as Slayers who watch over humanity by killing giant monsters called Behemoths. The official description of the game sets up the conflict in this combination of Dark Souls, Monster Hunter, and World of Warcraft:

“The world of Dauntless has been shattered by a cataclysmic event, creating a vast array of uncharted and majestic floating islands. Behemoths, as cunning as they are vicious, consume the land, and it’s up to the Slayers to hunt them down before they destroy what remains of the world. Slayers will explore an ever-changing frontier, brimming with verdant flora and unique wildlife.”

The game won't require players to go online with others, they can do it solo if desired but they will also be able to group up with parties to take down the giant Behemoth monsters. Phoenix Labs has promised that there will be various battles saying "no two encounters are alike". The game also features an upgrade system for players' armor and weapons, including a crafting system.

Dauntless is Phoenix Labs' first game, which is a studio based in Vancouver filled with veteran talent from BioWare, Riot Games, Capcom, and Blizzard. The studio was formed in 2014 and consists of 40 developers. Co-founder and president Jesse Houston, who has worked on Mass Effect and League of Legends stated that they want to make games for players to enjoy together.

Dauntless will be a free-to-play game, scheduled to launch in 2017 for PC.