Ashes of Creation
A cancelled sandbox MMORPG with player-driven world building.
Intrepid Studios' sandbox MMORPG Ashes of Creation was canceled after a brief early access run. Announced in 2016, its Kickstarter hit a $750,000 goal in under twelve hours, eventually raising over three million dollars. The game launched on Steam on December 11, 2025, but was removed on February 2, 2026, following the studio's closure. Players' actions were meant to dynamically shape the game world.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Intrepid Studios
- Director
- Steven Sharif (creative)
- Platforms
- Windows
- Release
- Cancelled
- Genre
- MMORPG
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Composer
- Bear McCreary; Inon Zur
Facts from the source article.
Development
Intrepid Studios, based in San Diego, California, announced Ashes of Creation on December 10, 2016, in a blogpost on the official website. Game development was primarily funded by studio founder Steven Sharif. A Kickstarter campaign launched in June 2017, with the studio stating that crowdfunding was chosen to connect directly with the most invested players. The campaign met its $750,000 target in under 12 hours and eventually raised over $3.25 million from more than 19,000 backers, making it one of the fastest and highest funded projects on the platform. The campaign drew criticism for a referral program that rewarded players with premium game credits or cash for referring donors, which continued despite being against Kickstarter rules. By July 2018, 500,000 users had registered on the official website and 40,000 had purchased access to alpha and beta versions. In August 2018, Intrepid agreed with publisher My.com for EU and CIS publishing rights, with My.com's Voker Boenigk stating that Intrepid would retain full creative control. The partnership ended in August 2020, and Intrepid self-published in those regions. Sharif stated in 2020 that the game would operate on a $15 monthly subscription model with no upfront cost. Lead game designer Jeffrey Bard left the project on May 27, 2021, and on September 17, 2021, Wynne McLaughlin, former lead writer for Elder Scrolls Online, was hired as senior narrative designer. In December 2021, Intrepid announced a switch from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5 for faster development and additional tools. A lawsuit filed by cloud service provider SADA systems in late 2025 demanded $850,000 for over three years of unpaid fees; Sharif described it as a contract dispute and stated the amount was a week's worth in operating expenses.
Studio closure
On January 22, 2026, creative director and studio co-founder Steven Sharif addressed layoff rumors on Reddit, stating that nine of 250 employees were affected by targeted team adjustments and that the layoff was not a reflection of the game's health. A notice posted to the studio's website on January 29 promised to address issues and delayed a Twitch development update stream to February 13. On January 31, 2026, Sharif announced his resignation on Discord, citing an internal feud between creative leaders and the board of directors. He stated he resigned in protest of board-directed actions he could not ethically agree with or carry out, and that senior leadership team members also resigned. The board then issued WARN Act notices and a mass layoff. The WARN notice filed in California described a permanent closure, with 123 employees losing their jobs. The day after Sharif's Discord message, several Intrepid employees posted on LinkedIn that they were no longer with the company, with some describing the layoff as a complete studio closure. Former director of communications Margaret Krohn later said the studio had shut down, a WARN notice was sent to the entire studio, and employees would not receive final paychecks or other owed compensation. Several former employees filed lawsuits seeking to recover compensation and accusing the company of violating the WARN Act by not providing the required 60 days of notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What platforms is Ashes of Creation available on?
Ashes of Creation was released for Windows.
Who composed the music for Ashes of Creation?
The music for Ashes of Creation was composed by Bear McCreary and Inon Zur.
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