Most new MMORPGs have recently come mostly from Asia. In contrast, very few innovations come from the West, at least regarding major projects. Ashes of Creation was, therefore, a beacon of hope – now its future seems uncertain.
What is happening with Ashes of Creation? On the night of January 31 to February 1, 2026, Steven Sharif, CEO of Intrepid Studios and Creative Director of Ashes of Creation, shared a concerning message on the official Discord server for the game.
The message from the chief indicates that he and other executives have left the studio. Subsequently, there was a “mass layoff,” he says.
Ashes of Creation only entered Early Access on Steam on December 11, 2025:
Studio Chief Resigns, Executives Follow
This is what the chief says: Sharif writes in his message to the community that he has lost control of the company. The board has since begun making decisions that he could not ethically agree to or implement. He does not specify what these decisions were at this point.
Ultimately, Sharif decided to resign “in protest” rather than support these actions. A large part of the leadership team left the studio afterward, prompting the board to carry out a mass layoff.
Due to ongoing legal matters, Sharif cannot say much at this time. Therefore, it is unclear how many employees are to be affected by the mass layoff at the studio. An official statement has not been released by the time this article is published. However, such a statement could follow on Monday, February 2, 2026.
The developers are not to blame for this situation, Sharif writes in his message:
What I can say is that the developers and staff acted in good faith and deserved better than the uncertainty they are now facing.
Steven Sharif
Is Ashes of Creation Coming to an End?
What does this mean for the MMORPG? The future of the development studio remains uncertain, as does that of Ashes of Creation. Whether the game will actually be discontinued, as many fear, or whether it will be further developed with a smaller team – and without Sharif – remains to be seen.
On social media platforms like X and Reddit, both the founder’s message and the layoffs are being actively discussed. Some players have invested significant sums into the MMORPG since the start of the Kickstarter campaign.
Damn, I really put $1000 into this game since October 2020. Just for it to get canceled before it was ever released
, writes Juliet (@ttvjuliet) on XLooks like Ashes of Creation is imploding
, says MMORPG expert and critic Bellular on X- X user Savvo Games (@SavvoGames) shares a screenshot in which there is said to be a final message from the developers to the players. It states: “We truly did our best. Out of our control. You guys are incredible and keep on keeping on.” (on X)
Many angry fans in the Ashes of Creation Subreddit talk about a scam, with sadness mixed with schadenfreude. Others are already looking for people to switch to another MMORPG with them. For instance, one user asks in a Reddit post: “Anybody want to hop with me to Archeage?”
Just a week ago, layoffs at the developer studio caused concerns for the fans. At that time, Steve Sharif still had not hinted at anything negative. What he had to say about the layoffs can be found here: There were layoffs at the studio behind Ashes of Creation, the studio head reassures fans of the MMORPG
