Back in 2017, the MMO Ashes of Creation was funded by a very successful $3.2 million Kickstarter campaign. The game was finally released two months ago in December as a $50 Early Access game on Steam. However, last month, Game Director Steven Sharif and several other members of the Senior Development Team quit “in protest,” due to the management board asking Sharif to do things he “could not ethically support.” Needless to say, the future of Ashes of Creation is now in limbo as many of the devs who left say that Intrepid Studios has closed and Steam has withdrawn the game from sale as they investigate the matter.
Many members of the community had a bad feeling in the past few weeks leading to the “Director’s Letter” and other communications of other developers talking about moving on from the studio. Sharif claims that the management board allegedly issues WARN Act notices – layoff warnings to the remaining members of the staff.
“I can make a limited statement in my personal capacity and not on behalf of the company, regarding the situation.” Sharif claims that “Control of the company shifted away from me, and the Board began directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out.
“As a result, I chose to resign in protest rather than lend my name or authority to decisions I could not ethically support,” Sharif claims. “Following my resignation, much of the senior leadership team resigned. Following those departures, the Board made the decision to issue WARN Act notices and proceed with a mass layoff.
“I cannot responsibly speak to further details at this time due to ongoing legal and governance matters,” Sharif writes. “What I can say is that the developers and staff acted in good faith and deserved better than the uncertainty they are now facing. I am incredibly dismayed by the situation.”
Following the developer’s statements, The game has seen a beavy of fresh negative reviews with comments such as “scam rugpull of a game,” “Ashes is officially cancelled,” and “the game was a cash grab.” These brought the game’s Steam score from ‘Mixed’ to ‘Mostly Negative.’
Redditor LawdAizen said that Steam is “investigating the issue” after contacting Valve’s storefront and requested a refund.
Now, Steam seems to have withdrawn the game from sale as the buy button on the Ashes of Creation Steam page has been removed. The game’s website is still live and is accepting payment for cosmetics. There is a notice at the top of the website that reads: “delivery of cosmetic purchases may be delayed on certain realms. Items will appear in your in-game mail once processing completes.”
Today, a standard member, without any context or introduction released a statement to the community.
“Hello everyone — my name is Karen L. Boreyko, and I want to take a moment to speak directly to this community as we begin a new chapter for Ashes of Creation. Intrepid Studios is moving forward with a renewed long-term vision for the game, including continued development in China and a transition to a subscription-based model supported by optional daily battle passes, a new in-game gold shop, and expanded skill point progression systems. Our goal is to ensure the project’s sustainability while accelerating development and delivering a live service experience that can grow for years to come. We know change brings questions, and we’re committed to open communication as we move ahead together.”
There is a planned development update livestream slated for February 13.