The third phase of Alpha Two of Ashes of Creation was originally scheduled to start on May 1, 2025. It is now clear that this will not happen. The developers at Intrepid Studios cite good reasons for the delay.
What have the developers announced? The new date for the start of Phase 3 of Alpha Two is August 4, 2025. The next testing phase of Ashes of Creation is therefore being postponed by just over three months. The reason for the delay: Before the alpha servers go live 7 days a week, the devs want to ensure a solid foundation.
This foundation includes:
- Implementation and testing of the dynamic grid, which is crucial for improving game performance in densely populated areas.
- The introduction of the second starting area in “The Anvils” and a revision of the quest and new player experience systems.
- Ongoing improvements to server and realm performance, which are intended to help the devs create a stronger foundation for scalability.
- The transition to Unreal Engine 5.5 brings significant improvements in tools, performance, and development flexibility.
- Significant efforts in the areas of economy and stat balancing in the next 3 months in preparation for a solid launch of Phase 3.
- The introduction of the races Py’rai, Ren’Kai, and Niküan with all armor sets along with the final not yet implemented archetype Summoner.
With the start of Phase 3, the servers are to go live 24/7 and gradually receive new content as well as improvements.
The latest implemented class, the Rogue, in the trailer for Ashes of Creation:
“Probably the right decision”
How is the community reacting to the announcement? Many observers of the MMORPG are responding positively to the delay.
- Mr_Bang writes on Reddit: “This was probably the right decision because it’s better to have a setback in Phase 2 rather than deliver too little in Phase 3 as promised and intended.”
- OrinThane agrees on Reddit: “Since most new players will be introduced in Phase 3, I consider this overall the right decision. Development should take as long as it needs to be good – arbitrary deadlines are secondary to a good and polished game.”
- dimchoff praises on Reddit as well: “That’s good too. Getting all classes finished, along with more refined existing systems and higher server stability before Phase 3, is better than having a supposed chaos when the Phase 3 testers pour in. I’m excited about the new features they have in store for us.”
By the way, the developers at Intrepid reacted to the discussion on Reddit by noting that a fresh-start server is set to go live on May 1, on which everyone with alpha access can start anew. Whether this will be located in the USA or Europe is still unclear.
Who has access to the Alpha? Unfortunately, only supporters of the project currently have access to the alpha phases, with more players being invited with each new phase. The plan for Phase 3 is that the following supporters will be allowed to play:
- “Alpha Two Kickstarter”, pre-orderers, and “Alpha Two First” and “Second Wave Bundle” owners.
- “Alpha Two Third Wave Bundle” owners, who now also receive alpha access for the extended Phase II period starting on May 1, 2025.
What else do I need to know about Ashes of Creation? Ashes of Creation is a sandbox MMORPG in a fantasy setting set in a vast open world. You fight against world bosses and compete against each other in PvP. There will also be a system where you level areas, improve cities, and change areas of the game world – the so-called “Nodes”. Development on the MMORPG began back in 2015. You can read more about it here: Release, Roadmap, Alpha 2, Classes, Gameplay, Payment Model – everything important about the MMORPG Ashes of Creation.
