What happened

Ashes of Creation hit Early Access on Steam only weeks ago after nearly a decade in development and millions raised from crowdfunding and investors. At the end of January, founder/director Steven Sharif announced he was resigning “in protest,” saying control shifted to a board pushing actions he “could not ethically support.” Following his resignation, much of the senior leadership team also quit, and WARN Act notices (mass layoff warnings) were reportedly issued to the remaining staff at Intrepid Studios. Multiple reports and dev comments now describe the studio as effectively shut down, with development appearing to have ceased.

Why players are calling it “chaos”

Players who just bought into Early Access are furious, as the game’s future is now totally unclear and many feel blindsided after recent dev letters promising long‑term support. Steam discussions and social channels are flooded with warnings not to buy the game and calls for refunds, with some community members accusing the situation of being a “rug pull.” Media reports also point out that public corporate filings list only Sharif and his spouse as directors, which has raised questions about the “board” he blamed in his departure message. As of now, there’s no clear roadmap, no confirmed continuation of development, and no solid communication from whoever is left in charge, so the MMO’s long‑term survival is very much in doubt.