On August 4, 2025, the third phase of Alpha Two for Ashes of Creation officially begins. MeinMMO summarizes everything important for you about the next milestone of the hope bearer for many MMORPG fans.
What is the current status? Since January 16, 2025, Phase 2 of Alpha Two has been running, which means that the Alpha servers of Ashes of Creation are live 5 days a week. Originally, it was planned to start the third phase on May 1, 2025, with a 24/7 operation, but the developers postponed this date to August 4, 2025, in April.
If the ambitious MMORPG is ever released, it is expected to use a unusual payment model with mandatory subscription, in-game shop, and no purchase price. Those who want to play now must either have a lot of luck (and get access for free somewhere) or invest a considerable amount of money.
Currently, there is only one early access package in the shop at ashesofcreation.com, the “Alpha Two Third Wave Bundle” for 100 USD. This offers:
- Access to the subsequent Alpha Two test phases
- Access to the upcoming Beta One test phase
- Access to the upcoming Beta Two test phase
- 1 month of gameplay (worth 15 $)
- 15 $ Embers (the in-game currency for the marketplace)
Ashes of Creation: Preview of Phase 3 of Alpha Two
What can I expect from Phase 3 of the Alpha? According to chief developer Steven Sharif, currently only about 70 to 80 percent of the planned core systems and 20 to 30 percent of the planned content are included in Phase 2 of Alpha Two. When Alpha Two started, it was even much less, which is why some testers harshly criticized the unfinished game at that time.
However, since the start of the second phase of Alpha Two, a lot has happened in a relatively short time. For example, there was a major update in March that implemented the Rogue class, a new region, caravan ships, and the siege system for the nodes. Thanks to the postponement to August, the game is expected to take another major step forward with Phase 3.
Already in March 2025, the founder of Studio Intrepid explained that those who want to experience Ashes of Creation in a sufficiently advanced version within the Alpha should join according to Sharif only during Phase 3.
What new features will Phase 3 bring? The list of announced improvements is long:
- The introduction of the second starting area in “The Anvils” – with dozens of quests, dungeons, and world events – as well as a revision of the basic quest and newcomer experience systems.
- The introduction of the races Py’rai, Ren’Kai, and Niküan with all armor sets along with the last unimplemented archetype Summoner (which will probably not arrive until September or October).
- Comprehensive adjustments and expansions of economy, crafting, and node developments.
- Revisions of the equipment sets as well as the values on equipment parts.
- More NPC interactions in the open world that are influenced by the weather.
- Updates and improvements for the guilds, which will receive a new points system and a storage for items and materials.
- Ongoing improvements of server and realm performance that should help the devs create a more solid foundation for scalability.
- Introduction of a new transport system for crates, allowing players to earn gold in new ways. But there are also dangers from PvP.
- Speaking of which: Introduction of “dynamic lawless POIs” where an area is marked, providing bonuses for rewards and experience but also making PvP active.
- The transition to Unreal Engine 5.5 for a significant improvement in tools, performance, and development flexibility.
- Implementation and testing of the dynamic grid, crucial for improving game performance in densely populated areas.
With the start of Phase 3, the servers are expected to be online around the clock except for maintenance phases.
How long is Phase 3 of Alpha Two supposed to last? This is currently unclear. We only know that two Beta phases will come after Alpha Two.
The great hope bearer from the West
Why is Ashes of Creation so important for the genre? Since 2015, MMORPGs have been in a drought phase that just won’t end. While there are glimmers of hope here and there, there is a lack of ambitious new releases from western studios and publishers, which could bring some movement back to the stagnant status quo of the genre.
The only new MMORPG from the past decade that is backed by a western team and has a big budget is New World – yet it could never meet the expectations and hopes of many genre fans despite the enormous launch hype.
While not much is known about most other western MMORPGs currently in development, Ashes of Creation has been taking a more transparent path for many years. The ambitious project, which is currently being worked on by 250 developers, provides monthly updates, showcasing new gameplay and documenting the progress the game has made over the years.
What else should I know about Ashes of Creation? Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG in a fantasy setting, set in a huge open worldRelease, roadmap, Alpha 2, classes, gameplay, payment model – everything important about the MMORPG Ashes of Creation.
