Steam is granting refunds to some players of the highly anticipated MMORPG, Ashes of Creation, following significant upheaval within its developing studio, Intrepid Studios. This comes after the game, which holds the record for the most successful MMO Kickstarter campaign with a total of nearly $3.3 million raised in 2017, witnessed the abrupt resignation of key leadership and widespread layoffs.
The game entered Steam Early Access in December 2023. Shortly thereafter, its future became uncertain when Steven Sharif, the founder of Intrepid Studios and director of Ashes of Creation, resigned in protest. Sharif alleged that the board of directors had taken control of the studio and pressured him to execute unethical orders. Following his departure, many senior leaders also resigned, leading to a wave of notifications to remaining staff about impending layoffs.
In light of these developments, players are understandably concerned about the game’s viability. Former communications manager, Margaret Krohn, expressed her uncertainty about the game’s future on LinkedIn, stating, “I don’t know how the game will continue when the heart and soul of the product, the amazing dev team, was all laid off.”
As players seek clarity and reassurance, some have turned to Steam for refunds, especially those who feel that the game’s current state does not reflect their investment. While Kickstarter backers and direct purchasers from Intrepid may face challenges in securing refunds, Steam users have reported varying degrees of success.
Several players have managed to obtain refunds even when they exceeded Steam’s typical policy, which generally denies refunds for games played over two hours or owned for more than two weeks. For instance, GamesRadar+ deputy news editor Catherine Lewis successfully received a refund by selecting the “I have a question about this purchase” option when submitting her help request, rather than the standard refund request. This approach appears to provide a better chance of reaching a support representative who can assess individual circumstances.
Numerous discussions on Reddit highlight other players who have successfully navigated the refund process for Ashes of Creation, even after significant gameplay. While there is no guarantee of approval, players are encouraged to use similar strategies when reaching out to Steam support.
As Intrepid Studios prepares to conduct a developer update stream to address the situation, the community remains watchful. Given the current turmoil, many players are left questioning the future of Ashes of Creation and weighing their options regarding refunds.
