Things appear to be in shambles at the California-based developer Intrepid Studios. Game director Steven Sharif resigned at the end of January “in protest” of the company’s management board, which led to several other senior staff members quitting and leaving the developer’s ambitious MMORPG, Ashes of Creation, in turmoil.
Funded through a combination of Kickstarter backing (to the tune of $3.2 million) and Sharif’s personal investment in 2017, Ashes of Creation is described as an “old-school take on the modern MMORPG set in a living, reactive world where your choices shape civilization.” It was in a lengthy alpha phase before launching in early access via Steam on December 11 for a discounted $50. Now, however, the game and its studio are experiencing some tough turbulence. On January 31, game director Steven Sharif announced his resignation in Discord (via PCGamesN) as a result of the management board’s decisions that he felt he “could not ethically agree with or carry out.”
“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.”
