It will be difficult for Dauntless to establish itself alongside Monster Hunter World
Leya says: With the release of Monster Hunter World, hard times are ahead for Dauntless.
Because even if Dauntless sees itself more in competition with Free2Play titles like Warframe or Path of Exile, Monster Hunter World will exert tremendous pressure on Phoenix Labs.
Dauntless cannot escape this comparison.
When I played Dauntless a few weeks ago for a few hours, I enjoyed the fights and weapons. They were fluid and the various monster phases were exciting. However, it will likely not be where Monster Hunter World will be at launch.
A critical phase will dawn for Phoenix Labs when Monster Hunter World is released on PC – the current main platform of Dauntless. One can see from Overwatch that players are indeed willing to reach into their pockets to pay for a corresponding brand and production.
With the release of Monster Hunter World, it is likely to be a challenge for the Free2Play game Dauntless (PC) to stand alongside Capcom’s giant. Will the “Overwatch Syndrome” that has already led to the early demise of some hero shooters affect it?
When Phoenix Labs began developing Dauntless in 2016, the action RPG was intended to fill a gap: it was meant to be a Monster Hunter substitute for platforms that lacked Monster Hunter titles.
Dauntless was supposed to offer something that the Monster Hunter franchise was missing:
- Dauntless is Free2Play, Monster Hunter is a full-price title.
- Dauntless was primarily developed for PC, while Monster Hunter mostly appeared on handheld consoles. Additionally, Dauntless had already considered ports for PS4 and Xbox One – there was no Monster Hunter.
- This was intended to make Dauntless more accessible to the West. Monster Hunter had primarily succeeded in Japan, where handheld consoles are very popular.
- Dauntless was also intended to have a strong MMO character and focus on cooperative play.
At the start of Dauntless’s development, no one knew that Monster Hunter World was already in the wings for release. Capcom announced Monster Hunter World for PC, PS4, and Xbox at E3 in June 2017.
Interest in Dauntless declines, while interest in Monster Hunter World continues to rise
Right after the announcement of MHW, the developers of Dauntless were asked how they view the new competitor.
At Phoenix Labs, they claim to be looking forward to Monster Hunter World and are relaxed about the release of the title. After all, Dauntless is Free2Play – they saw competition more in other complex Free2Play titles like Warframe.
Dauntless looks forward to Monster Hunter World – No competition
However, this hope and these ideas from Dauntless have not materialized in reality.
Dauntless and Monster Hunter World share monster hunting as core gameplay and belong to the action RPG genre. In both games, players take down increasingly powerful monsters to acquire better gear and bring down even stronger beasts.
It is clearly evident from Google Trends that interest in Dauntless is in a downward trend. In contrast, interest in Monster Hunter World has risen sharply since its announcement.
Dauntless aimed to fill a gap. Now Capcom has closed that gap themselves.
Capcom brought exactly the elements to Monster Hunter that Dauntless wanted to do differently and add:
- Monster Hunter World will be released on the popular platforms PC, PS4, and Xbox, which are also popular in the West.
- There will be a strong MMO component:
- For example, squads of up to 50 players can be formed.
- In online co-op, up to 4 players worldwide can go on missions together, similar to Destiny.
The strongest difference that remains:
- Dauntless is Free2Play and Monster Hunter World is Buy2Play.
Capcom has an established brand with Monster Hunter – Dauntless is just beginning
Capcom has been producing the Monster Hunter series since 2004 and has spread mainly through positive word-of-mouth. Key points include the challenging gameplay and the addictive loot system.
Monster Hunter World has built a respectable reputation over the years and stands for quality. Moreover, Capcom has made significant capital through the franchise in the meantime. This gives them an advantage, as they have very different possibilities to advertise and do PR for Monster Hunter World than Dauntless can.
- With the available resources, the developers are able to create an enormous world that looks appealing and features fluid mechanics.
- Capcom also generated significant hype for Monster Hunter World in recent months and released high-quality produced (gameplay) trailers one after another.
The Overwatch Syndrome: When Godzilla comes and tramples everything
Dauntless now faces a problem that many hero shooters have faced since the release of Overwatch:
- Battleborn is dead – A fan’s obituary
- The studio behind Gigantic is (pretty much) dead – No happy ending for Motiga
- Paladins struggles with the accusation of being an Overwatch clone
- LawBreakers: Player numbers are falling dangerously – The next Battleborn?
It will be difficult for Dauntless to establish itself alongside Monster Hunter World
Leya says: With the release of Monster Hunter World, hard times are ahead for Dauntless.
Because even if Dauntless sees itself more in competition with Free2Play titles like Warframe or Path of Exile, Monster Hunter World will exert tremendous pressure on Phoenix Labs.
Dauntless cannot escape this comparison.
When I played Dauntless a few weeks ago for a few hours, I enjoyed the fights and weapons. They were fluid and the various monster phases were exciting. However, it will likely not be where Monster Hunter World will be at launch.
A critical phase will dawn for Phoenix Labs when Monster Hunter World is released on PC – the current main platform of Dauntless. One can see from Overwatch that players are indeed willing to reach into their pockets to pay for a corresponding brand and production.
