So, Why Is Everything Behind a Paywall?

[Lee]

Oh, it’s simple, really. The devs took a long, hard look at the state of Dauntless and thought, “You know what? We’re cooked. Let’s go out with a bang—or rather, a cash grab!” And so, here we are, with a game where everything that used to be fun and rewarding is now conveniently locked behind a paywall.

But don’t be mad—it’s strategic! Their master plan is to squeeze every last penny out of unsuspecting new players who don’t know any better. Veterans? Pfft. They’ve already taken the hint and left. The focus now is on those wide-eyed newcomers who think, “Maybe this battle pass will make the game better!” Spoiler: It won’t.

And once they’ve wrung every possible dollar out of the few souls willing to pay for what was once free, it’s a quick adieu. No updates, no communication—just tumbleweeds rolling across Ramsgate. It’s not a live-service game anymore; it’s a cash-service game with an expiration date.

So really, the paywall isn’t just a barrier to content—it’s a big neon sign that says, “We’re done here. Thanks for the money!” Enjoy it while it lasts... or don’t. Either way, it seems Dauntless has already said its goodbyes.

[wemic]

Mr. Krabs: Cause I like money

[MrJane]

They could have just ended the game. It was popular, did well for a time, but now it's over. Instead, they gut it and throw in all the absolutely worst, scummy, money-grubbing tactics a game can have in hopes of getting people addicted or scammed. It's a travesty.

[Avine]

They deserve the overwhelming negative reviews they currently have.

[Didaibr]

they could have made Dauntless 2 with a better system, but you know that cost money, they dont want to spend they just want to milk as much as possible...

[siiix]

Greed.

[Animosity]

Originally posted by BrigidKildare:

It isn't... yes they added some more monetization GASP a free game trying to make money the horror. But everything is not locked behind a paywall. There is some pay to win for sure which is a sad thing.

Some? The whole game is based off it now lmfao. Did you even play before hand? Are you a veteran? I have years of progress gone. For what. Greed? I already uninstallled n this is it for me and dauntless

[Wilbur, The Bacon King]

Originally posted by BrigidKildare:

Originally posted by Animosity:

Some? The whole game is based off it now lmfao. Did you even play before hand? Are you a veteran? I have years of progress gone. For what. Greed? I already uninstallled n this is it for me and dauntless

Been playing since the 1st release. Survived other updates will survive this one. But claiming "everything is behind a paywall" is just a flat out lie. I am all for valid feedback and critique, the loot boxes I don't like that much myself. Do I feel we got compensated enough in resources for what was removed or changed absolutely not. To me these are valid complaints but hyperbole about pay walls and pay to win and various other garbage isn't being honest and it most certainly isn't going to change anything.

6 weeks for free to play to get 85 weapon tokens, they are releasing new weapon with each hunt pass which means free to play can never catch up.

[Lee]

Originally posted by BrigidKildare:

Originally posted by Animosity:

Some? The whole game is based off it now lmfao. Did you even play before hand? Are you a veteran? I have years of progress gone. For what. Greed? I already uninstallled n this is it for me and dauntless

Been playing since the 1st release. Survived other updates will survive this one. But claiming "everything is behind a paywall" is just a flat out lie. I am all for valid feedback and critique, the loot boxes I don't like that much myself. Do I feel we got compensated enough in resources for what was removed or changed absolutely not. To me these are valid complaints but hyperbole about pay walls and pay to win and various other garbage isn't being honest and it most certainly isn't going to change anything.

Previously, the paywall in Dauntless was limited to cosmetics, which was largely accepted by the community. Now, the addition of weapon tokens, weapon XP, and other paid shortcuts has blurred the line. These new monetization practices make it seem like progression for new players, and even veterans, is heavily tied to spending money. For example:

-Weapon Tokens: While you can earn some through gameplay, the availability is limited. New players, who don’t yet have the resources or understanding of the system, may struggle to progress without grinding excessively or opting to buy tokens.
-XP Requirements: Upgrading weapons now demands massive amounts of XP. Sure, you can earn it through playing, but the grind feels deliberately stretched, almost encouraging players to spend money on weapon XP or bundles to speed things up.
-Perception of Pay-to-Progress: With these changes, it’s not that “everything” is locked behind a paywall, but key systems feel designed to steer players toward spending money to bypass tedious grind.

[MrJane]

More whataboutism. Do you have any good arguments?

[Synner]

Originally posted by BrigidKildare:

It isn't... yes they added some more monetization GASP a free game trying to make money the horror. But everything is not locked behind a paywall. There is some pay to win for sure which is a sad thing.

From what I see, you can get a new weapon every other month.

[DJBacon]

Originally posted by BrigidKildare:

Originally posted by Lee:

Previously, the paywall in Dauntless was limited to cosmetics, which was largely accepted by the community. Now, the addition of weapon tokens, weapon XP, and other paid shortcuts has blurred the line. These new monetization practices make it seem like progression for new players, and even veterans, is heavily tied to spending money. For example:

-Weapon Tokens: While you can earn some through gameplay, the availability is limited. New players, who don’t yet have the resources or understanding of the system, may struggle to progress without grinding excessively or opting to buy tokens.
-XP Requirements: Upgrading weapons now demands massive amounts of XP. Sure, you can earn it through playing, but the grind feels deliberately stretched, almost encouraging players to spend money on weapon XP or bundles to speed things up.
-Perception of Pay-to-Progress: With these changes, it’s not that “everything” is locked behind a paywall, but key systems feel designed to steer players toward spending money to bypass tedious grind.

I absolutely agree with the points you make here and this is how you post useful feedback. I 100% agree that the Pay to progress is valid, and that they have purposely slowed down your progression to encourage you to use the store. As a Veteran player I felt extremely slighted with the meager compensation we received for all the time and effort put in over the years. I can support that the direction they have gone is not a good one but it's not exactly the worst, it follows the model set forth by other recent games and this is sadly most likely a trend we will see in all future games.

You're this isn't the worst, it could be shut down
Though at this point that may be for the best

[Syntheticat24]

Originally posted by Lee:

Oh, it’s simple, really. The devs took a long, hard look at the state of Dauntless and thought, “You know what? We’re cooked. Let’s go out with a bang—or rather, a cash grab!” And so, here we are, with a game where everything that used to be fun and rewarding is now conveniently locked behind a paywall.

But don’t be mad—it’s strategic! Their master plan is to squeeze every last penny out of unsuspecting new players who don’t know any better. Veterans? Pfft. They’ve already taken the hint and left. The focus now is on those wide-eyed newcomers who think, “Maybe this battle pass will make the game better!” Spoiler: It won’t.

And once they’ve wrung every possible dollar out of the few souls willing to pay for what was once free, it’s a quick adieu. No updates, no communication—just tumbleweeds rolling across Ramsgate. It’s not a live-service game anymore; it’s a cash-service game with an expiration date.

So really, the paywall isn’t just a barrier to content—it’s a big neon sign that says, “We’re done here. Thanks for the money!” Enjoy it while it lasts... or don’t. Either way, it seems Dauntless has already said its goodbyes.

It's called Dauntl(E)ss (A)wakening for a reason.

[BernardoOne]

the company got bought over by a blockchain company filled with insane crypto bros. Zero surprises here.

[JayCray]

If this happened to Monster Hunter, that would be the end of Monster Hunter. That's Capcom, so I find it quite hilarious that some nobody developer thought this would fly with their customers.

[se05239]

Gotta start fishing for them whales.