2 days after promising it was still 'worthy of your investment,' the most successful Kickstarter MMO ever was canceled and its team laid off: 'The developers and staff acted in good faith and deserved better'

Early access MMO Ashes of Creation has reportedly ceased development, and the entire team behind it at Intrepid Studios has been laid off. With nearly $3.3 million raised in a 2017 campaign, Ashes of Creation was the crowdfunding platform's most successful MMO fundraiser, and one of its most successful videogame campaigns overall.

On Saturday, January 31, the game's official Discord was abuzz over rumored firings and resignations at Intrepid. Community lead Margaret Krohn revealed she had been laid off on LinkedIn, and in reply to a comment on the post, Krohn wrote: "I don't know how they would make it when the heart and soul of the product, the amazing dev team, was all laid off."

Intrepid founder and former creative director, Steven Sharif, offered more explanation in the face of the panic and speculation on the Discord server. "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 my resignation, much of the senior leadership team resigned. Following those departures, the Board made the decision to issue WARN Act notices and proceed with a mass layoff.

"I cannot responsibly speak to further details at this time due to ongoing legal and governance matters. What I can say is that the developers and staff acted in good faith and deserved better than the uncertainty they are now facing. I am incredibly dismayed by the situation."

The cancellation follows five years of closed backer Alphas, growing discontent among players, and a number of core issues that appear to have grown acute in the past year. Ashes of Creation was not doing well, but all signs point to the final cancellation/layoff decision having been shockingly abrupt.

On January 29, "A Director's Letter to the Citizens of Verra" was shared to the Ashes of Creation website. The post acknowledged long-simmering issues like bots, cheating, bugs, and poor performance, but promised a continued commitment to building "something ambitious, durable, and worthy of your investment." Intrepid also announced a February 13 development update stream to "walk through our Q1 plans and outline the next steps for Ashes of Creation."

"Verra is still growing," the post concludes. "We remain deeply committed to making it a world worthy of your time, your stories, and your belief." The "Director's Letter" title implies Sharif's authorship, but it signs off as being from "the Ashes of Creation Team."

This letter, plus the rapid deluge of layoff news on the evening of January 31st, reads to me like the team was still working and planning for the future right up to the point of resignations and layoffs. But even before its more recent issues, Ashes of Creation appeared troubled. It's been nine years since it was Kickstarter funded, and five since its first playable alpha. Former PCG guides writer Sarah James wrote that its player-driven systems were not yet coming together in that alpha, and found Ashes of Creation lacking a clear direction.

Even earlier, former PCG reporter Steven Messner was circumspect of Ashes of Creation's ambitious promises while crowdfunding, and also called attention to a referral marketing program it was running in breach of Kickstarter terms of service.

Regardless, Intrepid put effort and manpower into making this game for more than a decade⁠—Sharif's LinkedIn page shows him founding the company in 2015. Ashes of Creation's ultimate demise appears tied to familiar failings: Overambition, lack of direction, and the contentious relationship between creatives and profit-driven investors. Regarding that last point, I am left wondering what unethical measures by the board were the final straw for Sharif.

Steven's conclusion from his own investigation nine years ago feels strangely prescient now, though. "There’s potential for something great, but the risks feel greater too," he wrote. "Anyone thinking of supporting Ashes of Creation prior to launch, whether through Kickstarter or any other means, should think carefully before proceeding."