Is Ashes of Creation Shutting Down? Cancellation Controversy Defined

Ashes of Creation is an bold MMORPG that was launched in early entry in December 2025. The launch got here after virtually a decade of playtests, manufacturing, and evolution, however it has met a vicious finish as the complete studio behind the sport has crumbled. In this information, we’re answering a transparent query: ‘Is Ashes of Creation shutting down?’

It looks like the writing is firmly on the wall with Ashes of Creation, which was launched simply weeks in the past by Intrepid Studios onto the Steam platform, however what’s the reality of it?

What Happened to Ashes of Creation?

Ashes of Creation imploded round February 1st, 2026. On social media, reviews surfaced of Intrepid Studios, the sport’s developer, dealing with full and indiscriminate layoffs after the studio’s management workforce collectively resigned.

Ashes of Creation’s Steven Sharif, Intrepid’s founder and the sport’s artistic director, defined in an announcement that ‘the Board’ wrestled management of the corporate away from him, prompting his resignation. However, a subsequent investigation decided that Sharif may need been the sole member of the Board.

Ashes of Creation’s workforce has been utterly laid off, and what’s worse, the corporate’s monetary place meant that ultimate paychecks couldn’t be processed. This is regardless of the sport promoting roughly 250,000 – 300,000 copies on Steam, underneath a $49.99 price ticket.

A worldwide shutdown of Ashes of Creation is nearly assured, however on the time of writing, the sport remained dwell on Steam. Intrepid Studios, nonetheless, has collapsed, and as of this level, has no workers to work on the sport.

How to Get Ashes of Creation Refund

If you’ve performed Ashes of Creation for lower than two hours on Steam, you possibly can gather a refund by way of Valve’s inner assist channels, however in case you’ve performed for extra than two hours, you’re not entitled to an on the spot refund.

However, you possibly can nonetheless attempt to undergo the shopper assist channels, as that is a rare circumstance.

Many have predicted that class motion lawsuits will floor, particularly given the suspicious timing of the Ashes of Creation shutdown. The sport’s Kickstarter all the time acknowledged that if the sport didn’t launch on Steam, full refunds to all backers can be issued. Even although it was solely dwell on Steam for mere weeks, that clause was successfully fulfilled.

Let us know on the Insider Gaming Discord server in case you’ve been impacted by Ashes of Creation shutting down.

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Grant’s adoration for gaming began on the Amstrad CPC in 1996. Now, he is a multi-platform skilled gamer with a deep love for the trade, a ardour for esports, and extra…

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