A few days ago, the MMORPG community came across a lawsuit stating that the studio behind Ashes of Creation allegedly has not paid some invoices. Some speculated this is the reason for the sudden Early Access launch. Now, the founder Steven Sharif has spoken out.
What is the lawsuit about? The company Sara Software Systems LLC is suing Intrepid Studios because the game developer allegedly has not paid for the cloud services delivered since September 2022 despite multiple payment requests. You can find the lawsuit document on trellis.law.
In April 2025, the contract was terminated by Sara Software Systems. The cloud service provider is now seeking damages of $850,000. Due to the amount, some players speculated on Reddit that this might explain the sudden plan by Intrepid to offer Ashes of Creation on Steam as Early Access.
“$800,000 represents the studio’s weekly operating costs”
How does Intrepid respond? Studio head Steven Sharif has now commented on the assumption, clarifying that they deal with weekly expenses that make a penalty payment of $850,000 seem like proverbial peanuts.
Contract disputes are quite common in the business world and are resolved similarly to other disputes Intrepid has faced in its nine-year history. $800,000 represents the studio’s weekly operating costs. Anyone expressing concerns about this amount should take this into account.
Steven Sharif, via Reddit
The largest cost factor is likely salaries, as about 250 people are now working on Ashes of Creation. The penalty payment itself may not have been a reason for the Early Access launch on Steam, but the enormous total costs certainly were.
In the latest interview with YouTuber and streamer Esfand, the lead developer emphasized this again: Ashes of Creation is a risky project due to the genre, bringing additional uncertainties due to its innovations.
It is difficult to find investors or supporting publishers. According to Steven Sharif, the revenue from Early Access is crucial to finishing the MMORPG in the coming year. And for now, the plan seems to be working: Big MMORPG from the West struggles with a high influx of players at launch on Steam, ringing the cash register for the developers
