Ashes of Creation, an old-school MMORPG that dropped in an alpha state on Steam after years of development, has imploded this weekend. The game has been struck with a total collapse, as the team at Intrepid Studios has either resigned or been laid off. It was just two days ago that the team at Intrepid was posting updates and promising a roadmap of improvements to the game.
In a recent message on the game’s Discord server, the company’s founder and creative director for AoC, Steven Sharif, made a damning statement about the situation. He stressed he was forced to resign after ‘control of the company’ was shifted away from him, prompting a walkout that ultimately led to the entire remaining company being laid off.
Is Ashes of Creation Shutting Down?
It’s almost guaranteed that Ashes of Creation, the ambitious, old-school MMORPG that was in development for almost a decade, will disappear forever. In his statement on the AoC Discord server, company founder Steven Sharif wrote:
I can make a limited statement in my personal capacity and not on behalf of the company, regarding the situation.
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.
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. 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.
On Steam’s community forums, users came forward to declare the situation a ‘pump and dump scam’, with some suggesting that class action lawsuits should be sprung up to chase refunds.
However, that might be easier said than done. In a video shared on social media, an internal communication was shared, explaining that ‘all job titles and all positions’ would be hit by an ‘entire and permanent plant closing’. It was then explained that the expected payroll set to run on February 1 will not happen because of the company’s financial position.
That means that employees under the WARN notice will not be paid, which will undoubtedly prompt financial suits.
If you load Ashes of Creation’s Steam page right now, you still have the option to purchase it for £41.99 ($49.99). According to SteamDB’s aggregate systems, as many as 319,000 people may have purchased Ashes of Creation, which averages out to around $14 million.
Those customers who picked up this early access title that has now been dropped just a month after release will be demanding satisfaction and compensation.
Popular creator ‘Pirate Software’ addressed the situation on socials, standing up for the developer somewhat:
Bizarrely, the situation took another turn when eagle-eyed and investigative fans turned up registration information for Intrepid Studios that confirmed Steven Sharif as the sole Board member. This was taken from a filing made on December 30, 2025, and it lists Sharif as the CEO and an individual named John Moore as the CFO.
Sharif is the only named director on the Board, per the document.
On social media, users noticed a troubling clause in the game’s Kickstarter, which explained that if the game doesn’t launch on Steam, full refunds will be issued to all backers. Well, guess what? The game launched on Steam, so that promise was effectively fulfilled. Coincidence?
Let us know what you think about this concerning news on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Terraria is blowing up again, 15 years after release
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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