Ashes of Creation

Ashes of Creation is an upcoming sandbox MMORPG from Intrepid Studios that remains in active development. The project was first announced in 2016 and drew attention through a Kickstarter campaign that hit its $750,000 target in less than twelve hours, eventually pulling in over $3 million. Its core feature is a dynamic world-building system where player actions directly shape the game world’s layout. The game has not yet been released and is currently in pre-alpha/alpha testing, with Intrepid Studios continuing development.

Players can choose from nine races—including Kaelar and Vaelune humans, Empyrean and Py’rai elves, Ren’kai and Vek orcs, Dünir and Niküa dwarves, and the Tulnar—and one of eight primary archetypes: Tank, Cleric, Mage, Fighter, Rogue, Ranger, Bard, or Summoner. At level 25, a secondary archetype can be selected, creating 64 possible class combinations. The world-building mechanic revolves around nodes: designated regions that grow into towns or cities as more players spend time there, unlocking land development, housing, and a player-driven political system. Dynamic PvE events occur within these nodes, and how players handle them affects node development. For instance, ignoring goblins in an area would let their settlement expand and further alter the region, with NPCs potentially developing hostility toward those mobs.

The game is set in the medieval high-fantasy world of Verra, which includes real-world-inspired biomes like snow, jungles, and plains, as well as original areas such as corrupted zones and the Underrealm.

Intrepid Studios, based in San Diego, announced Ashes of Creation on December 10, 2016, via a blog post. Development is primarily funded by studio founder Steven Sharif. A Kickstarter campaign launched in June 2017, with the studio saying crowdfunding let them “connect directly with the players most invested in our success.” The campaign met its $750,000 goal in under 12 hours and ultimately raised over $3.25 million from more than 19,000 backers, making it one of the fastest and highest-funded projects on the platform. It drew criticism for a referral program that rewarded players with premium credits or cash for referring donors, which violated Kickstarter rules, though no action was taken.