[UPDATE - February 1, 2026] Shortly after the Steam Early Access debut of Ashes of Creation, the game has now imploded, with founder Steven Sharif resigning and mass layoffs on the way. Read the full story here.
[ORIGINAL STORY] Ashes of Creation, in case you've never heard of it, is a high-fantasy MMORPG in development at Intrepid Studios that aims to bring back the "massive" part of the acronym into the genre.
According to the developers, whose portfolio as individuals includes Everquest, Planetside, Star Wars Galaxies, Vanguard: Saga of Heroes and XCOM: Enemy Within, this is an open world game which will change drastically due to the actions of players. I know, we've heard that before, but surely it must come true at some point, in some fashion.
A Kickstarter campaign went live earlier today and over half of the minimum goal (set at $750K) was already pledged by the eager community. Intrepid said to MassivelyOP that development began in February 2016 and Alpha testing is currently planned to start before the end of 2017.
You can find a more detailed overview of the game as well as the Kickstarter video pitch below.
Reactive World that Changes Based on Player Interaction
Ashes of Creation uses a dynamic node system, unique to MMOs. Nodes are widespread locations throughout the world that players can develop when they complete quests, kill monsters, PvP, etc. Nodes have their own experience levels which grow as players participate in normal activities within their “zone of influence”. Nodes can eventually grow into camps, villages, and at their pinnacle, metropolises. As these nodes grow, so do the quests and services the nodes offer to players. However, nothing lasts forever. World events may trigger horrific monsters which can attack nodes, even other players may pose a threat. Every node has the possibility of being be attacked and destroyed, the reinforcing of competing interests lies central to the philosophy behind node design.
Massive PvP Sieges for Castle Dominance
Players can work together to siege castles and take control of territories for themselves. This is done through massively multiplayer siege warfare where hundreds of players can come together to attack or defend key targets. These castles are the epitome of guild driven politics and exert control over the nodes that fall within a castle’s region of influence.
Caravans & Strategic Trading
In Ashes of Creation, our economies are regionalized, both for our markets and our resources. Caravans facilitate the transit of goods between regions. Initiating a trade from one city to another will create a caravan that players will need to defend while it moves along its route to its destination. These caravans create PvP zones around them, allowing other players the option to attack it. Caravans are integral parts of city development as cities require a massive amount of resources to upgrade. Players will be able to move their resources and set up shop in other areas of the world in order to take advantage of the new developing markets.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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