Dauntless: Awakening – Bringing a New Behemoth to Life for This Huge Update

Prepare to face Karkonos, the fearsome new Behemoth debuting in Dauntless on December 5 as part of the Dauntless: Awakening update.

This is the largest update ever to our monster-slaying, free-to-play action-RPG. Featuring revamped progression systems, powerful new weapons, and a new Behemoth, it’s a transformative leap forward. With fresh challenges and a community-informed development roadmap, Dauntless: Awakening sets the stage for an exciting future in the Shattered Isles.

And at the heart of all this lies our newest Behemoth, the fearsome Karkonos. This monstrous creation is the result of months of collaboration between the Dauntless team and its passionate community. Today, we’re peeling back the curtain to reveal how the newest addition to the Shattered Isles was brought to life, from initial concept to final in-game implementation. Along the way, you’ll see how community feedback helped shape Karkonos and why this Behemoth is a testament to the power of collaboration.

A Concept Born from Community

The origins of Karkonos trace back to a community design livestream, where Dauntless players and developers collaborated in real time to envision the next Behemoth. The session was a creative melting pot, with Slayers sharing their ideas for a creature that was both visually striking and deeply tied to the lore of the Shattered Isles. Some players pushed for a towering, alien-like monster with intricate details, while others suggested grounding the design in real-world inspirations for a sense of familiarity.

From these discussions, a bold and imaginative concept emerged. However, as developers delved deeper into the initial sketches, it became clear that the design felt “too alien-like” and disconnected from the world of Dauntless. Brent Barrett, lead designer on Karkonos, recalls the iterative process: “The community’s ideas gave us a phenomenal starting point for us to iterate on. We wanted Karkonos to feel like it truly belonged in the Shattered Isles.”

Feedback from the livestream continued to shape the Behemoth’s evolution. Players emphasized the importance of a creature that looked dangerous yet believable, inspiring the team to integrate real-world influences. Crab-like elements were introduced to anchor Karkonos visually, while its scorpion-inspired tail preserved its menacing edge. These design decisions balanced player creativity with the Dauntless aesthetic, resulting in a creature that feels both authentic and fresh.

This collaborative refinement process extended beyond visual design, laying the groundwork for a gameplay experience as dynamic and challenging as the Behemoth itself.

From Sketch to Savage: The Gameplay Experience

While Karkonos’ appearance sets the stage, its gameplay is where this Behemoth truly shines. The collaboration with the community extended into early playtests, where Slayers provided invaluable feedback on its mechanics.

Karkonos moves with a crab-like gait, forward and backward, but its attack patterns are anything but predictable. “Karkonos is mean,” Barrett says with a smile. “Its tail swipes and ground-shaking pincers have almost no tell, keeping players on edge. And it’s not just one-on-one, it threatens entire teams, forcing coordination and strategy.”

Key to the gameplay design was the balance of risk and reward. Moments of vulnerability, like when Karkonos pounds the ground with its pincers, offer skilled Slayers a chance to interrupt, but only if they act quickly and decisively. Community feedback fine-tuned these interactions, ensuring every encounter feels dynamic and rewarding.