The creator of Kickstarter's top-funded MMO is facing a reported loss of executives and employees after a rocky debut

A wave of resignations and layoffs has struck Intrepid Studios, the developer behind the crowdfunded MMO Ashes of Creation. Comments on social media over the weekend highlighted the departure of numerous members from its management and development teams.

Back in 2017, Ashes of Creation was funded through Kickstarter, raising $3.2 million, making it a top MMO on the platform and the eighth most successful game campaign overall. In December, the game launched into Early Access, receiving mixed responses due to technical issues and gameplay criticisms. Despite reassurances from the studio indicating ongoing work, community lead Margaret Krohn later disclosed on LinkedIn that she and the entire development team had been let go.

Following this, Steven Sharif, the founder and erstwhile creative director of Intrepid Studios, expressed his personal views on the game's Discord server. In a message captured by PC Gamer, he stated, "Control of the company shifted away from me, and the Board began directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out." Sharif chose to resign in protest, which prompted other senior leaders to follow suit, eventually leading to the Board enforcing the WARN Act and executing a large-scale layoff.

Sharif added that, due to ongoing legal concerns, details were limited but reinforced that the team deserved better amid the prevailing uncertainty. The studio's development workforce numbered around 240 prior to this event, with Sharif downplaying an earlier reduction of nine positions as minor and unrelated to the project's outlook.

Since Ashes of Creation's Early Access introduction, player engagement has dwindled, with a recent 24-hour peak attendance of 6,599 as noted by SteamDB. GameDiscoverCo has reported the game's sales figures at approximately 239,000 units. Founded in 2015, Intrepid Studios rolled out the first of many playable alpha versions in 2019.