Ashes of Creation Pulled! Is This The End For The MMO? Players Stunned!

Steam has quietly pulled the troubled MMO *Ashes of Creation* from its store, and the move follows a leadership exodus that has left players wondering who, if anyone, is left to keep the servers running. It's a pretty dramatic turn for a game that was once riding high on Kickstarter dreams.

Ashes of Creation Pulled! Is This The End For The ...

The game, which managed to rake in a cool $3.2 million through crowdfunding back in 2017, launched in December as an Early Access title, priced at $50. Not exactly cheap, but hey, maybe it was worth it, right? Sadly, things appear to have quickly gone south. By the end of January, the game's director, Steven Sharif, and apparently a "significant" chunk of the senior development team, reportedly quit. Their reason? They alleged that the management board was pushing for actions that Sharif, at least, "could not ethically support." That's never a good sign.

Sharif claims the board subsequently issued WARN Act notices to the remaining staff – essentially the legal equivalent of saying "layoffs are coming." The exact number of remaining employees and the makeup of the board itself are currently shrouded in mystery. Sharif posted a brief farewell on the game's Discord, but has been radio silent since. The Discord server itself? Well, let's just say it's currently the Wild West, with channels overflowing with everything from genuine concerns to, shall we say, less-than-savory content, and no apparent moderation in sight.

While the Steam purchase button is gone, the *Ashes of Creation* website is still plugging away, accepting payments for cosmetic items. A small notice warns that delivery might be delayed "on certain realms," and that items will eventually show up in in-game mail. The website, usually a hub of activity, saw a single update in January, vaguely mentioning a developer diary livestream scheduled for February 13th. I wonder who'll be hosting that, given the circumstances?

Predictably, Reddit and Discord are now flooded with refund requests. Players with less than two hours of playtime seem to be getting automatic refunds, but those who sank more time into the game are reporting a mixed bag. Some are successful, others are denied, and some are stuck in limbo while Steam "investigates." Honestly, I wouldn't want to be in Steam's customer support shoes right now.

In a surprising turn, a "standard member" named Karen L. Boreyko addressed the community, stating that Intrepid Studios is forging ahead with a "renewed long-term vision" including continued development in China and a transition to a subscription-based model supported by optional daily battle passes, a new in-game gold shop, and expanded skill point progression systems. It's a big change, and I'm unsure how the players will take the news.

All eyes will be on that February 13th livestream. It's safe to say there will be some tough questions asked, and the answers will likely determine the fate of *Ashes of Creation*. Buckle up, folks, this is going to be interesting.