Ashes of Creation in Crisis: What We Know Today
The gaming world has been buzzing with concern and confusion over is Ashes of Creation shutting down, as recent developments have sparked intense discussion among fans and players alike. What started as rumors on social platforms has now evolved into real, verifiable changes at Intrepid Studios — the developer of Ashes of Creation — and significant uncertainty around the game’s future. As of today, while the situation remains dynamic, the facts paint a more complex picture than an outright shutdown.
Today’s updates confirm that Ashes of Creation has not officially been declared “shutting down” by the company itself. However, the studio behind it is undergoing major structural changes that raise serious questions about what lies ahead for its development and operation. In this deep dive, you’ll get an objective, fact-based overview of the current status, what’s changed, and what players should know right now.
If you’re following Ashes of Creation, keep reading to understand the implications of these events and what they mean for the game’s future.
Let us know your thoughts or experiences with the game’s early access so far.
Mass Layoffs and Leadership Turmoil at Intrepid Studios
In the past 24 hours, significant activity has taken place at Intrepid Studios that directly affects Ashes of Creation. According to credible community posts and statements from studio leadership, the developer has initiated a mass layoff affecting a large portion of its workforce, far beyond the smaller layoffs earlier this month.
Creative Director and co-founder Steven Sharif publicly announced his resignation from Intrepid Studios, stating he could no longer support directions taken by the company’s Board of Directors. He described the situation as ethically troubling and emphasized that remaining details are tied to ongoing legal and governance matters. Alongside Sharif’s departure, multiple members of the senior leadership team — including Communications Director Margaret Krohn — left the company.
These exits were framed by departing staff and community commentary as a major blow to the studio’s capacity to continue operations as they had planned. The reports also indicate that the WARN Act (a U.S. labor regulation requiring advance notice before large layoffs) notices were issued, suggesting the scale of workforce reductions was significant.
What This Means for Game Development
Although Ashes of Creation entered Steam Early Access in December 2025, with Intrepid Studios publishing the Alpha Two build and actively making updates to address bugs, exploits, and community feedback, the sudden loss of core leadership and talent has created immediate uncertainty.
Before this week’s developments, the studio had been communicating regularly about its ongoing plans, including taking steps to address issues like botting, exploits, and balancing gameplay systems. It also announced a development update event scheduled for mid-February 2026 to outline Q1 priorities and next steps. These plans, however, pre-date the layoffs and resignations.
Without official communication from the company confirming a shutdown of the game or termination of Early Access, Ashes of Creation remains technically available for players to log into and continue experiencing the current build. But the substantial reduction of the development team and leadership shake-up puts future patches, roadmap execution, and the long-term viability of the project into question.
Steam Early Access Still Live, But Future Uncertain
Ashes of Creation was officially launched into Early Access on Steam in December 2025, bringing its ambitious sandbox MMORPG world to a broader audience after years of pre-release testing. The official game website and Steam store still list the game as available in Alpha Two Early Access, and community forums show developers’ update notes posted as recently as late January 2026.
These ongoing support channels indicate that, at least for now, Ashes of Creation is still functioning in its Early Access state. Players can play the game, and support forums remain active with updates and bug reports — a sign that the game infrastructure has not been pulled offline.
That said, developers have not issued any official statement confirming that the game will continue beyond its current live build. Similarly, there has been no announcement of a total shutdown of servers or cancellation of development. All existing official channels still promote the game and share update details.
Community Reaction: Rumors, Concerns, and Clarifications
Because of the sudden nature of these events, much of the public reaction has unfolded on community platforms like Reddit and the Steam community discussions. These online conversations show a mix of speculation, personal accounts from players and alleged outgoing staff, and commentary on the state of the project.
It’s important to emphasize that these reactions do not constitute official company statements. While they offer insight into community sentiment and the chatter surrounding the situation, they should not be treated as authoritative reports on the game’s status.
Still, the volume of discussion underscores how widely the topic is Ashes of Creation shutting down has spread among the MMO gaming community. Fans and critics alike are debating whether the layoffs signify a shutdown, partial pivot, or a restructured continuation of development under different leadership.
What Players Should Do Now
If you’re an active player or backer of Ashes of Creation, here are some practical steps to take while the situation continues to unfold:
- Continue to follow official channels for any precise announcements. The official game site and Steam pages remain live sources for acknowledged updates.
- Monitor community forums and developer communication for any changes to service or support schedules.
- Save any data or content you value from the current Early Access build, keeping in mind future access cannot be guaranteed.
- Stay patient and critical of rumors until there is clear confirmation directly from the developer or publisher.
At this stage, Ashes of Creation is not officially shut down, but the recent tumult at Intrepid Studios marks a major turning point that could reshape its future significantly.
Wherever this journey leads next for Ashes of Creation, the community’s voice will shape what comes after — share your view and stay tuned for updates.