Ashes of Creation was supposed to define the next era of MMORPGs. After nearly ten years of development and a highly anticipated Steam Early Access launch on December 11, 2025, fans believed the world of Verra was finally ready to flourish.
Breaking News: Leadership Exit and Studio Turmoil
The biggest shockwave hit at the end of January.
- Steven Sharif Steps Down: On January 31, 2026, Ashes of Creation’s creator and creative director Steven Sharif resigned. In his statement, he said he could no longer “ethically support” the direction being taken by the studio’s Board of Directors.
- Senior Staff Walkouts: Shortly after Sharif’s departure, multiple senior leaders reportedly resigned in protest.
- Mass Layoffs: Employees across art, audio, and communications confirmed via social media and LinkedIn that they were laid off and actively seeking new roles, pointing to a near-total studio shutdown.
- February 13 Livestream in Doubt: A previously announced Q1 Roadmap livestream scheduled for February 13 now appears unlikely, as it’s unclear whether a team remains to host it.
Steam Early Access: Ambition Meets Reality
Ashes of Creation entered Early Access with high expectations but has struggled to win players over. As of early February, the game sits at 38% positive reviews (“Mostly Negative”) on Steam.
Key pain points include:
- Performance Issues: Even powerful RTX 50-series GPUs struggle during large-scale Node sieges, with Unreal Engine 5 optimization proving difficult.
- Price vs. Polish: Many players take issue with the $50 entry price for a game that feels closer to pre-alpha, especially with a functioning cosmetic cash shop already in place.
- Bots and RMT: The player-driven economy has been quickly overwhelmed by gold-farming bots, undercutting one of the game’s core design pillars.
A Quick Refresher: What Ashes of Creation Aimed to Be
For newcomers drawn in by the recent drama, Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG built around bold ideas:
- The Node System: Player actions decide which settlements grow into cities and which collapse.
- No Instancing: Dungeons and raids are fully open and contested by rival guilds.
- Hybrid Combat: A mix of tab-target and action combat, designed for massive 250 vs. 250 sieges.
On paper, it’s one of the most ambitious MMOs ever attempted.
What Happens Now?
Despite the chaos, Ashes of Creation is still playable on Steam—for now. Industry speculation suggests control of the project may have shifted to creditors through a debt-to-equity arrangement.
Possible outcomes for the rest of 2026 include:
- A New Developer Takes Over: A smaller “maintenance” studio stabilizes the Early Access build.
- Life Support Mode: Servers stay online while development effectively stalls, relying on microtransactions.
- Full Cancellation and Refunds: If the project shuts down entirely, the original 2017 Kickstarter promise of full refunds will face its ultimate legal test.
Ashes of Creation’s story is no longer just about game design—it’s now a cautionary tale for the entire MMO industry.
