Ashes of Creation is reportedly shutting down just several weeks after Early Access launch.
Intrepid Studios’ Ashes of Creation–an ambitious project once expected to be genre-defining in the highly competitive MMO market–has fallen into a state of total collapse following senior resignations and widespread developer layoffs at the studio.
Ashes of Creation was originally funded through a Kickstarter campaign in 2017, raising US$3.2 million and far surpassing its US$750,000 goal, making it one of the most successful video game campaigns on the platform.
After nearly a decade of development, Intrepid Studios launched an Early Access version on Steam with a US$49.99 price tag with recent plans to impose a subscription-based system into the game. The MMORPG reportedly sold around 300,000 copies, but even this promising start failed to sustain the project.
Despite issuing assurances about the game’s future just two days ago–including the announcement of a development update livestream scheduled for 13 February–the situation has since taken a dramatic turn, with reports now pointing towards a global shutdown of Ashes of Creation.
Intrepid director steps down, development team reportedly laid off
The situation at Intrepid Studios deteriorated rapidly as senior team members began publicly announcing their departures.
Margaret Krohn, Intrepid’s former Director of Communications, confirmed her exit in a statement across social media, thanking the community for its support. When asked whether the game had been shut down, she replied:
“I don’t work there anymore, so I can’t answer that for you. Personally, I don’t know how they would make it when the heart and soul of the product–the amazing dev team–was all laid off.”
Shortly afterwards, director Steven Sharif shared a statement on the game’s Discord confirming mass layoffs and announcing his own resignation.
“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,” he posted.
Steam withdraws Ashes of Creation from sale
With no development team reportedly remaining, the future of Ashes of Creation now appears bleak. Many players who purchased the game have since review-bombed it on Steam, warning others not to buy it and urging potential customers to avoid the title. Players have also been requesting refunds, with mixed reports of approval and rejection.
Most recently, Steam has quietly removed the purchase option for the game. While Ashes of Creation still has a visible store listing, it can no longer be bought.
While the news has been deeply disappointing for supporters who believed in the project and backed it over the years, many within the gaming community had long expressed concerns. Critics frequently pointed to the game’s nearly nine-year development cycle and the lack of completion of core systems as warning signs of its eventual downfall.
