Intrepid Studios laid off its entire Ashes of Creation development team without notice or January paychecks, according to former Director of Communications Margaret Krohn. The mass termination followed Steam's removal of the $50 Early Access MMO from its storefront earlier this week.
Krohn revealed in a Twitter/X post that 210 employees were affected by the January 31 WARN Act filing, with 123 based in California.
"In the end, none of us are receiving our final paychecks, the 60-day notice and pay outlined under the WARN Act, PTO payouts, or other compensation owed," she wrote.
The crisis began when game director Steven Sharif and much of the senior development team quit in late January. Sharif claimed the management board asked him to do things he "could not ethically support." The board then issued WARN Act notices to remaining staff.
Steam quietly withdrew Ashes of Creation from sale after the leadership exodus. The MMO launched in December as a $50 Early Access title following a $3.2 million Kickstarter campaign in 2017 that attracted 19,576 backers.
Players now face inconsistent refund policies from Valve. Some report successful refunds with 15+ hours played through manual processes, while others with 2.3 hours get denied for exceeding refund windows. Steam support reportedly told one player they would close additional tickets without reading.
The most successful refund requests bypass automated systems by selecting "I have a question about this product" instead of the refund option. This routes tickets to human customer support representatives.
Kickstarter backers likely won't receive refunds since the game technically launched in Early Access form. The project raised the most money ever on Kickstarter for an MMO.
Ashes of Creation's website remains active and continues accepting cosmetic purchases despite only one update posted in January. That update referenced a developer diary livestream scheduled for February 13, though it's unclear who would host it given the complete team layoff.
Sharif appeared on Discord on February 1, calling the situation "heartbreaking" but noting reputational damage was unavoidable until proper public filings clarify events. The management board's composition remains unknown.
Margaret Krohn described the development team as "truly a family" that built a unique culture.
"What matters most to me now are the people, both the players and developers," she wrote, encouraging players to pursue refunds they deserve.
