The game was first revealed during The Game Awards in December 2016 . Phoenix Labs planned to start with a closed alpha period , followed by an open beta period prior to the game 's full release in the last quarter of 2017 . The alpha was launched August 18 , 2017 ; though players could register to be selected for the alpha , Phoenix Labs also offered premium early alpha access in for-cost packages that included in-game buffs , features for customization , and the ability to create guilds . By the PAX East 2017 event in March 2017 , they had the basic combat for the game completed , and were starting the development of the impact of skills and boosts into the game . By September , Phoenix Labs pushed back the release schedule for the game , citing issues found during the closed alpha period including game stability and game balance in comparison to the '' Monster Hunter '' formula . The open beta was moved to early 2018 , and formally launched in May 2018 , though prior to that , they invited small waves of players to the closed beta to increase feedback . Within two weeks of the open beta period , over one million new players had played the game . By July 2018 , they had seen over 2 million players
The Game Awards
The Game Awards 2016
Dauntless (video game)