Free-to-play monster hunter Dauntless is migrating all player accounts to Epic Store
As part of drive for PC and console cross-play.
Developer Pheonix Labs has announced that it will be migrating all existing accounts for its free-to-play co-op monster-hunter Dauntless over to the Epic Games Store later this year, and that all players will require an Epic log-in in order to continue playing after the move.
According to Phoenix Labs' FAQ on the matter, Dauntless' account migration will begin "as soon as possible", then, once the process is complete, the game's current launcher will be retired. Those players that don't currently have an Epic Games account will first need to opt-in to the migration process, at which point it seems their Dauntless accounts will be converted automatically. Those that do, however, will need to link their Dauntless and Epic accounts together manually closer to launch via the game's official website.
As Phoenix Labs explains it, players' current progress, friend lists, guilds, and platinum (Dauntless' in-game currency) should all be carried over and integrated into Epic's account infrastructure. However, those players that would rather avoid the Epic Games Store are out of luck. The developer writes that "Migrating your account is the only way to ensure that all your progress from Dauntless carries over after we launch on console and the Epic Games store."
While the last few months have seen Epic aggressively, and controversially, striking deals to secure a number of high-profile exclusives for its new storefront - including the likes of Ashen, The Division 2, and Metro Exodus - it appears that Dauntless' transition is something of a different case. In its post discussing the upcoming account migration, Phoenix Labs cited its desire to implement cross-play between PC, PS4, and Xbox One as a key factor in the move. This follows on from Epic's announcement last year that it would be making its cross-platform infrastructure, originally created for Fortnite, free to all developers.
Dauntless is currently expected to officially launch on the Epic Games Store, PS4, and Xbox One this April. Mobile and Switch versions are planned to release before the end of the year.