Ashes of Creation Facing Potential Shutdown

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The new fantasy game Ashes of Creation, which is available on Steam, might be shutting down sooner than expected. Intrepid Studios, the game’s developer, announced in late January that they were planning layoffs just over a month after the game first launched in early access. Several important people also announced they were leaving the company.

Developed since 2017 with funding from a Kickstarter campaign, Ashes of Creation is a large, open-world MMORPG taking place in the damaged realm of Verra. In 2021, the developers, Intrepid Studios, announced they were upgrading the game to Unreal Engine 5. After several rounds of alpha testing, Ashes of Creation became available on Steam as an early access game in December 2025. Unfortunately, the launch was met with a mixed reaction from players due to problems with server access and missing in-game rewards. As of today, the game has a 47% mixed rating on Steam based on over 6,000 player reviews.

Ashes of Creation Developer Loses Key Staff

I was really excited when Ashes of Creation finally launched in early access and it pulled in a ton of players on Steam, but things are looking pretty grim now. I just found out that Steven Sharif, one of the main creative forces behind the game and a co-founder of Intrepid Studios, has resigned. He announced it on their Discord, and it sounds like he left because he strongly disagreed with something the studio’s board was doing. Apparently, they’re moving control away from him and he said they’re planning layoffs. He couldn’t say much more due to legal reasons, which is super concerning. It’s a really worrying sign for the future of the game, honestly.

TopMob | Source image via Discord

The WARN Act, which stands for the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act of 1988, is a US law requiring most companies with 100 or more employees to give their workers advance warning of plant closures or large layoffs. Generally, companies must provide at least 60 business days’ notice, though there are some exceptions. California, where Intrepid Studios is located, also has its own version of the WARN Act, meaning the company may be subject to those requirements as well.

Several leaders at Intrepid Studios, including communications director Margaret Krohn, have announced they are leaving the company on social media. In a tweet, Krohn asked players of Ashes of Creation to be understanding towards the developers impacted by these changes, and said she would fondly remember her time at Intrepid. Despite possible layoffs, Ashes of Creation is still playable as of today.

Ashes of Creation Could Go The Way of other MMORPGs

Image via Intrepid Studios

If Intrepid Studios proceeds with planned layoffs, it would join a number of other companies recently reducing their workforce. In October 2025, Amazon conducted layoffs across many of its divisions, with its gaming division being particularly affected. As a result of these cuts, Amazon Games announced in January 2026 that its online game, New World: Aeternum, would be discontinued on January 31, 2027. The game is no longer available for purchase, but existing players can still enjoy it until the servers are permanently shut down.

Look, games like World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy 14 still rule the MMORPG world, no doubt. But I’m honestly worried about Ashes of Creation. There’s a lot of talk about layoffs, and I’m just hoping it doesn’t end up like so many other promising MMORPGs that just… disappeared. It’s really up in the air right now whether it’ll make it or not.

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2026-02-01 23:07