Recently released MMO title, Ashes of Creation, is getting heat from players as the studio board issues a WARN Act notice following the mass resignation of studio leadership. Developed by Intrepid Studios, the game was originally a Kickstarter-funded project from 2017. It later launched on Steam in Early Access on December 11, 2025. However, almost two months later, Ashes of Creation seemingly headed towards a complete shutdown.
This announcement comes from the studio’s founder, Steven Sharif, who released an official statement on Discord following his departure. Let’s find out what triggered this series of unfortunate events.
Shifting control of Intrepid Studios and ethical conflicts
In an official statement posted on Discord, Sharif wrote that his decision to resign from the studio came after he lost control of the company. Following that, the new Board of Directors made some decisions, presumably regarding Ashes of Creation and its direction, that he could not ‘ethically agree’ with or carry out. Note that this was a personal statement regarding the situation and not on behalf of the company.
“Control of the company shifted away from me, and the Board began directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out. As a result, I chose to resign in protest rather than lend my name or authority to decisions I could not ethically support. Following my resignation, much of the senior leadership team resigned,” Sharif wrote.
At the moment, we don’t know what those ethical conflicts were, but they led to the resignation of more senior staff members at the studio. Following the departure of the studio leadership, the Board issued WARN Act notices and proceeded with mass layoffs at Intrepid Studios.
For those who don’t know, the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN Act) is issued by a company with over 100 employees just before mass layoffs, and it acts as a 60-day notice.
The future for Ashes of Creation remains uncertain
The studio has yet to issue an official statement on this matter, but with the WARN Act now in effect, players are asking, Is Ashes of Creation shutting down? The answer to that is currently unclear. With the studio shutting down, it’s likely the game will too.
The studio can sell the game to another publisher, and players may see it return later. However, until there’s an official statement, we would suggest not getting your hopes up too much. The game is currently getting review-bombed on Steam, with everyone expressing their frustration.
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Edited by Mayank Singh Rathour