The Road Ahead
Transparency and an open dialogue with our community have been goals for Dauntless since its inception. We are excited to welcome our community as a partner in the development process. Since we debuted Dauntless in December of 2016, we’ve been watching, listening, and engaging with you, our community. We’ve gathered invaluable feedback, taken note as you’ve shared your hopes for this game, and forged unbreakable alliances.
After our most recent round of long term planning, we are ready to share our development roadmap for Dauntless. This is a tool that we will use to provide perspective into what we’re working on and help empower you to be a participant in these discussions.
The roadmap is a reflection of your feedback and our dedication to listening and improving. It’s a way for you to understand how we will fulfill both the promise and fantasy of the Shattered Isles. And it’s the best way to understand what’s on the horizon at a high level.
Click here to view the Dauntless Roadmap!
Interpreting the Map
One of the most important elements of the roadmap is that it is a living document that will grow, shift, and change over time. There will be opportunities, breakthroughs, and inspirations which introduce new components or propel elements forward. There will be discoveries, challenges, and newfound knowledge which will require an adjustment to the plans we’ve already set out. This is all part of the journey!
Phoenix Labs prioritizes work based on ‘The next most important thing’ in general. You’ll notice that each of the items on the roadmap is categorized by either being Done, In Development, On Deck, or in the Backlog. While some items are dependent on others before they can move forward (e.g. Guild features require improvements to social systems before they can be implemented), others are categorized by what will bring the most value to Dauntless in the immediate future.
Additionally, there are experimental ideas and concepts which we may be working on but are not present in the roadmap. We will only put something on the roadmap if we know that it will make its way into or impact the game.
Feedback in Action
The roadmap will also act as a signal booster for community feedback. You’ll notice that the leading topics of conversation in the Dauntless community are represented in the roadmap.
Combat will be a huge focus for improvement in the immediate future and beyond. This includes adding additional options like aerial combat, revisiting combos on existing weapons, and adding new tools to your arsenal.
We also know that customization and a sense of personal identity is a huge element of what makes Dauntless special, and that players are excited to invest their time and effort into their characters. You’ll see plenty of improvements to both the functional and cosmetic elements of what will make you stand out as a Slayer, including character creation, gear bonuses, and transmogrification.
And, of course, what’s the use in being a Slayer if there aren’t new Behemoths to hunt and challenges to be met? An ongoing element of developing Dauntless will be creating new content in the way of Behemoths, quests, and activities.
2018
We have been thrilled with the exceptional reception for the Dauntless Closed Beta. We’ve met thousands upon thousands of new Slayers and gathered a wealth of knowledge. The scale and quality of our community has exceeded our expectations. The feedback that we have received has been awesome in both quality and volume — and its magnitude has presented us with an opportunity.
At Phoenix Labs we believe in a ‘When It’s Ready’ philosophy. We want to honour and incorporate the feedback we have received and make Dauntless the best experience that it can be. To achieve this, the Dauntless Open Beta will be coming in early 2018.
Those waiting to join us in the Open Beta can look forward to more polish and more content. For players who are already in the Closed Beta, this means that you can look forward to more improvements and seeing your feedback make a tangible impact on the game that you are playing.
We’re excited to hear what you think and to continue evolving these plans. The roadmap exists to enhance community conversations, so please let us know what you think in the Dauntless forums or on social media.
We look forward to your feedback and our journey forward together.
