Phoenix Labs, the maker of Dauntless and Fae Farm, has laid off a majority of its workers two years after it was quietly acquired by blockchain gaming agency Forte.
The layoffs got here a month after releasing an unpopular replace for Dauntless on Steam, and simply earlier than one other recreation was set to enter early entry, based on feedback from staff laid off on social media.
In a submit on Bluesky and LinkedIn, Phoenix Labs introduced that it was “one other troublesome day at Phoenix Labs. It stated the corporate made the “robust determination to half methods with nearly all of the studio as a part of unlucky however essential modifications to our operations.”
The corporate stated it appreciated the contributions of the folks impacted, and it’ll share extra particulars within the coming weeks about what it means for Dauntless and Fae Farm.
Dauntless is a free-to-play stay service recreation, whereas Fae Farm is a premium recreation with on-line multiplayer. Recreation Developer reported on turmoil on the studio after Forte Labs acquired it quietly in 2023, with out saying the change in possession.
The Awakening replace for Dauntless was criticized by gamers for its new in-app monetization and the lack of earlier development. The sport now has overwhelming adverse critiques on Steam. Phoenix Labs was beforehand owned by Singapore’s Garena, writer of Free Fireplace and a subsidiary of Sea Ltd. Garena divested the corporate in 2023, and Phoenix Labs had beforehand laid off 160 folks after the Forte deal.
