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, in accordance with feedback from workers laid off on social media.
In a submit on Bluesky and LinkedIn, Phoenix Labs introduced that it was “another difficult day at Phoenix Labs. It said the company made the “tough decision to part ways with the majority of the studio as part of unfortunate but necessary changes to our operations.”
The corporate mentioned it appreciated the contributions of the individuals 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 dwell service recreation, whereas Fae Farm is a premium recreation with on-line multiplayer. Sport 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 unfavourable critiques on Steam. Phoenix Labs was beforehand owned by Singapore’s Garena, writer of Free Hearth and a subsidiary of Sea Ltd. Garena divested the corporate in 2023, and Phoenix Labs had beforehand laid off 160 individuals after the Forte deal.
