Free Monster Hunter-Like RPG Dauntless Gets Open Beta Next Month

The free-to-play Monster Hunter-like action game Dauntless is one of the year's most ambitious PC releases, and soon players everywhere will have a chance to try it out. Developer Phoenix Labs has announced an open beta for the cooperative RPG, which is slated to begin next month.

Starting May 24, players around the world will be able to download and participate in the Dauntless open beta. Much like Monster Hunter, Dauntless puts players in the role of Slayers, who must work together to hunt down fearsome creatures known as Behemoths. Up to four players can set out together to battle Behemoths, using a variety of different weapons and armor to take down the monsters.

While the open beta will be free for everyone to join, players will also have the option to purchase customization items for their Slayers. However, Phoenix Labs says these will strictly be cosmetic in nature and won't have any bearing on the gameplay. Likewise, Dauntless does not offer any type of loot boxes.

Following its open beta launch, players will no longer be able to purchase any of Dauntless's Founders Packs. These come in several tiers and grant players exclusive items as well as access to the game's closed beta, which has been available since September 2017. If you're interested in jumping into the title before its open beta, you can still purchase one of the Founder's Packs from the official Dauntless website.

We got a chance to go hands-on with Dauntless at PAX East 2018. In the video above, you can see us team up with the game's developers to take on Shrike, a giant owl-like monster that makes its home in a forest. You can read our previous impressions of Dauntless here.