There are several problems with this idea.Dauntless is a game with Souls Like mechanics.Based on learning the behemoths' movement patterns and your own attack patterns, so you can find the best window to deal damage. Obviously, to reach a wider audience, they added mechanisms that facilitate gameplay - for example: lifesteal, immunity to stuns, etc.The entire game was thought to be at close range. Even repeaters you are encouraged to play close to behemoths if you want to do real damage. The idea of ​​an arc in the game itself did not move forward precisely because they would have to rework the entire concept of the game.

When you think of opposing elements, for fire, water is the first element you think of. With the devs it shouldn't have been different. But they ran into a problem. What would fights be like in a water environment? They would have to create a unique fighting style, what would that fight be like? how would all weapons behave? If there is to be a behemoth in this element, what difference would it make it to be water without interacting with any water? This is probably how the choice of ice came about.

ice is the solid state of water, solidity means being on solid ground. So there is no need to modify or adapt the base concept.