Originally, 2019 was supposed to be the year of Ashes of Creation. However, it became clear early on that the plans could not be fulfilled. Now, little is heard from the MMORPG. We take a look at where it stands at the end of 2019.
What was special about 2019? At the beginning of the year, the first alpha of Ashes of Creation was supposed to start. Beta tests and a possible release were even planned for 2019.
In March 2019, they distanced themselves from the plans, yet many players were expecting major updates and first glimpses of a playable version of the MMORPG. However, these never materialized.
Instead, the PvP standalone Apocalypse was released with a significant delay in September. The release was originally planned for December 2018, but many problems set the developers back significantly.
In this article, we will take a closer look at the current state of Ashes of Creation at the end of 2019 and also address the question of whether a release in 2020 is realistic.
A hope for MMORPGs that has gone quiet
What is Ashes of Creation? The sandbox MMORPG Ashes of Creation focuses on an open world where gameplay revolves around so-called nodes. The nodes are areas that can be conquered and leveled up.
All activities within the node contribute to progress. Once a node reaches the status of “village”, a collection of houses emerges and a mayor is elected. This mayor is responsible for the management of the town, where player housing can also be established.
However, since nodes can also be destroyed and conquered, PvP plays an important role in Ashes of Creation. Nevertheless, there are supposed to be PvE activities as well, including dynamic quests, crafting, and the mentioned housing.
Why do so many have hopes for Ashes of Creation? The founder of the development studio Intrepid, Steven Sharif, is very ambitious when it comes to his MMORPG.
He himself has been set for life since the age of 28 and aims to fulfill his dream of creating his own MMORPG with Ashes of Creation. For this purpose, he even invested his own money into the game.
Moreover, the ideas and systems of the game have convinced many. Through Kickstarter, more than 3 million dollars have been raised.
A weak year for MMORPGs?
What happened in 2019? Since the announcement of the postponed alpha in March 2019, things have gone quiet around Ashes of Creation.
In recent months, new videos have been released regularly, including a new trailer and info on the first mounts.
However, there hasn’t been a really big announcement for the MMORPG. The focus was more on the standalone Apocalypse.
What is the latest information about the MMORPG? On December 17, the last developer livestream of the year took place. It was announced that currently work is being done on fortress sieges. The focus is on balancing the classes and the siege weapons.
While sieges are an essential component of the MMORPG, the first version of it is being developed as a standalone game mode for Apocalypse and is being adjusted as well.
The rest of the livestream also brought only a few new pieces of information:
- Lead Character Artist Chris Atkins mentioned that new NPC types take about 12 to 15 days to create. However, there are now many models that are being modified to speed up the process.
- Lead Programmer Kevin McPherson talked about the implementation of leaderboards in the MMORPG.
- From a story perspective, the player character will not be “the one hero” like in single-player RPGs.
On a positive note, a short video clip stood out. It showcased the stability of the servers with 5,000 players simulated at the same time in one region.
However, it should be noted that the area offered few contents, the characters all looked identical, and no skills were used:
Apocalypse flopped as a public alpha substitute
What is Apocalypse? In September, Intrepid Studios released the PvP game Apocalypse. It is a battle royale for Ashes of Creation that anyone can play for free.
Apocalypse is meant to replace alpha 0 and is primarily used to test server structures and combat systems.
How is the game doing at the end of 2019? Since its release, the PvP standalone has struggled with low player numbers. According to Steamcharts, at peak in October 2019, only 288 players were online. In the last 30 days, there were only 21 players at peak, with an average of 8 players online.
While Apocalypse is not fundamentally bad, PvP games rely on attention and the number of their players. This number has been very low from the start.
Additionally, the game offers many different monetization options, including a paid battle pass and a shop with cosmetic items. Many players on Steam feel that this is too much for a game that only serves as a substitute for an alpha:
- Glutax: “Turning an alpha into a battle royale? Okay. Bringing a battle pass and microtransactions into an early access of an alpha test? Definitely not! Still, the gameplay is okay, the environment looks nice.”
- Baseball27: “I may be a bit biased, but when developers release a test platform for server and combat balancing in the form of a battle royale with microtransactions, it makes me skeptical about their true intentions behind it all.”
Ashes of Creation at the end of 2019
Where does Ashes of Creation stand at the end of 2019? Currently, there is neither a playable alpha for the MMORPG, nor a date or approximate timeframe for it. The release, which was still referred to as 2020 in March, seems already difficult. The situation at the end of 2019 is therefore not optimal.
Nonetheless, Ashes of Creation is making gradual progress, which will also be addressed in an upcoming Directors Letter. The release of Apocalypse is a good sign that they can keep a game online and functional permanently, even if interest is currently low.
An initial real conclusion will probably come from the upcoming Alpha 1. It will show how far the MMORPG really is and whether a release is possible in the foreseeable future. However, it seems that we will have to be patient with Ashes of Creation for quite some time.
Not only Ashes of Creation is struggling with problems. Other MMORPGs have also not met their goals:
