Ashes of Creation developer Intrepid Studios reportedly shutting down following internal conflict

It has been claimed that Intrepid Studios, the developer behind the highly-anticipated MMORPG Ashes of Creation, is shutting its doors following the resignation of its founder and creative director Steven Sharif and mass layoffs due to an internal feud with its board of directors.

The details:

• On January 31, Sharif issued a statement on the game's official Discord server revealing that he had resigned from his position after the company’s board began issuing unspecified actions that he did not ethically agree with. This came shortly after community lead Margaret Krohn announced that she had been laid off via LinkedIn. "I can make a limited statement in my personal capacity and not on behalf of the company, regarding the situation," Sharif wrote. "Control of the company shifted away from me, and the Board began directing actions that I could not ethically agree with or carry out. As a result, I chose to resign in protest rather than lend my name or authority to decisions I could not ethically support.”
• Following Sharif's resignation, much of Intrepid Studios' senior leadership team also resigned, with departures confirmed from multiple key staff members, including Krohn, senior environment artist Adam Anthony, QA engineer Keith McAvoy, senior character artist Jessica Jennings, and animator Brad Constantine.
• In response to the departures, it’s claimed that the board issued WARN Act notices to the remaining staff, beginning the legal layoff process, affecting approximately 250 people. "I cannot responsibly speak to further details at this time due to ongoing legal and governance matters,” Sharif said. “What I can say is that the developers and the staff acted in good faith and deserved better than the uncertainty they are now facing. I am incredibly dismayed by the situation."
• Ashes of Creation raised $3.2 million from nearly 20,000 backers during its 2017 Kickstarter campaign, making it the platform's most successful MMO fundraiser. The game had entered Early Access on Steam in December 2025, and just three days prior to the feud, Intrepid had shared an update post discussing future content.