Ashes of Creation in Turmoil — Director Resigns, Senior Staff Depart, Mass Layoffs Reported

This one caught my attention because Ashes of Creation has been one of the most visible, long-running crowdfunded MMORPG projects of the last decade – ambitious, controversial, and closely followed by a passionate community. The sudden resignations and reports of mass layoffs mark a sharp, public break in a project that has relied on continuity and trust to survive a protracted alpha.

Ashes of Creation: Leadership Walks Out and Reports of Mass Layoffs Rock Intrepid Studios

Key takeaways

• Director Steven Sharif says he resigned “in protest” after board decisions he couldn’t ethically support; he alleges control of the company shifted away from him.
• Multiple senior staff have left or confirmed being laid off – communications director Margaret Krohn says “the team was all laid off.”
• Intrepid issued WARN notices and reportedly proceeded with mass layoffs; the studio remains in Steam Early Access and has a Feb. 13 livestream planned.
• Ongoing legal and governance issues limit public details – the community faces a period of uncertainty about the game’s future and development continuity.

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Publisher|Intrepid Studios
Release Date|January 31, 2026
Category|MMORPG / Development news
Platform|PC (Steam Early Access)
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The timeline here matters. Ashes of Creation began as a high-profile Kickstarter (roughly $3.2M) and has been in development and public testing for years. The project’s move to Steam Early Access in December — unexpected for many players given the roadmap and existing alpha — already raised eyebrows. That tension escalated when the normally visible director, Steven Sharif, pulled back from community channels and a director’s letter was posted without his signature.

On Jan. 29-31 a string of public posts and LinkedIn updates crystallized those worries. Krohn, Intrepid’s communications director, confirmed she’s no longer with the studio and wrote that the development team “was all laid off.” Sharif posted a personal statement saying control of the company shifted away from him and he resigned in protest rather than be party to decisions he found unethical; he also said senior leadership resigned and that the board then issued WARN Act notices and moved forward with layoffs. Sharif and Krohn both emphasized they can’t share more because of ongoing legal and governance matters.

From a developer and community perspective, this is a worst-case operational disruption. MMO development depends on institutional knowledge across design, systems, environment art, animation, QA and live-ops. When senior staff and technical leads leave en masse, the project loses not just manpower but the tacit knowledge that keeps complex systems coherent. Rebuilding that is slow and expensive — and it’s especially damaging after a public Early Access launch where players expect a predictable roadmap.

There are a few possible routes forward here, none painless: the board could re-staff and continue development (a long, risky path); the studio could be restructured or sold; or the project could be paused or, in the worst case, canceled. The presence of WARN notices and legal constraints implies financial and governance stress rather than a simple personnel reshuffle. That makes optimistic quick fixes unlikely.

For players currently in Early Access, the immediate implications are practical: continued bug fixes, anti-cheat work, and content updates may slow or stop; community-facing communication will be limited while legal matters continue; and the Feb. 13 development livestream should be viewed as a potentially constrained update rather than a full recovery roadmap. Anyone invested financially or emotionally should temper expectations and prepare for continued uncertainty.

As someone who’s followed this project since its Kickstarter days, the human element is front and center for me: long-time contributors losing jobs after pouring years into a vision is genuinely upsetting. The community that rallied around Ashes of Creation did so because it sensed a team trying to build something different. Watching that core unravel is disappointing, regardless of the business reasons behind it.

What this means for readers

• If you play Ashes of Creation in Early Access: back up expectations and be cautious about long-term investments (time or money) until the studio provides clear, verifiable stability.
• If you’re a developer or vendor: expect payment and contracting risk; keep communication records and consider contingency plans.
• If you’re watching as an industry observer: this is another data point in how crowdfunded MMOs and small studios handle growth, governance, and investor/board dynamics.

TL;DR — Intrepid Studios appears to have undergone a major leadership rupture: the director resigned in protest, many senior staff have left or been laid off, and WARN notices were issued. The studio remains in Early Access but is in a fragile state; the Feb. 13 livestream may clarify parts of this, but legal limits mean transparency will be constrained. My read: the project is at a high-risk inflection point — recovery is possible but will require new leadership, funding, and time.