January 29 Ashes of Creation Maker Intrepid Studios promised big updates to the recently launched and long-awaited Steam fantasy MMO. Less than a week laterthe game was criticized, removed from Valve’s storefront, and saw all of its developers suddenly fired, according to a new post from the studio’s communications director.
“I waited until today to share this because I wanted to make sure I communicated with clarity,” said Margaret Krohn, head of marketing for Intrepid Studios. written the Tuesday. “Intrepid Studios closed its doors in a way I didn’t expect. What I can share is what I experienced. On January 28, near the end of the work day, I was informed that we were going to lay off 100 developers. I was devastated – these are hard-working people who were going to lose their jobs. Yet I thought it was something we could face together and find a way forward.”
I waited until today to share this because I wanted to make sure I communicated with clarity.
Intrepid Studios closed its doors in a way I didn’t expect. What I can share is what I experienced.
On January 28, towards the end of the work day, I was informed that…
— 𝖆𝖆𝖆𝖆𝖆𝖆 𝕶𝖆𝖆𝖆 🌱💕 (@MargaretKrohn) February 3, 2026
It was the day before an “unsigned”letter from director» was posted on Ashes of CreationPlayers are promising an update on February 13 on the game’s roadmap for the first months of 2026. But according to Krohn, massive layoffs at the studio were already underway. She said she received confirmation of which members of her team would be laid off by the end of the day on Jan. 29, and that the remaining employees began working on “ways to move forward” the next day. But on January 31, it became clear that no one in the studio was safe.
“On January 31st, we were all informed via a confusing email that we were going to be terminated, along with a WARN notice,” she wrote. “It’s still shocking. The entire studio came together to try to understand what happened and what it meant for our future. At the end of the day, none of us receive our final paycheck, 60 days’ notice and pay under the WARN Act, PTO payments, or any other compensation due.”
It is the same day that Ashes of Creation Director Steven Sharif announced on Discord that he no longer controlled the company and was resigning in protest. “I can make a limited statement in my personal capacity, and not on behalf of the company, regarding the situation,” he wrote on January 31. “Control of the company slipped from my grasp and the board began ordering actions that I could not ethically accept or carry out. As a result, I chose to resign in protest rather than lend my name or authority to decisions that I could not ethically support.”
Valve / Intrepid Studios It was the first public mention of the turmoil Intrepid was facing and it immediately ricocheted across Steam, where Ashes of Creation entered early access in December and Kickstarter, where backers raised $3.2 million to bring the MMORPG to market as early as 2017. The game was quickly bombarded by Valve’s storefront with warnings to other players to stay away from what could soon become a dead game, while backers on Kickstarter demanded refunds for the game without ever reaching a proper 1.0 launch. It has since been completely removed from sale on Steam.
“What matters most to me now is the people – both players and developers,” Krohn wrote today. “To the players: the entire development team has worked extremely hard, putting in long hours and wholeheartedly wishes to be able to offer you Ashes of Creation. There are no words to fully express how sorry we are that this trip ended this way. You should ask for a refund, you deserve it. To my colleagues: this team is truly a family. The culture we’ve built together is something I’ve never experienced anywhere else. Amidst the heartbreak and uncertainty, we came together to review resumes, help with portfolios, share job leads, and support each other emotionally.
At this time, it’s unclear who remains in charge of Intrepid Studios as a company, based in San Diego, or what will happen to Ashes of Creationwhose return potential seems increasingly unlikely. Who financed the development of the game? How were the studio’s finances suddenly wiped out overnight? And what recourse do the developers who worked on it have to get it back? My city I tried to contact the studio’s email address but got no response. Sharif declined to comment before clarifying the matter with his legal advisor.
When we contacted Krohn, she responded: “I’ve made my statement. I can’t really say more, I think I may have said too much as it is, but people need to know what happened.”
