More controversy surrounding *Ashes of Creation*: Well-known YouTuber NefasQS accuses former studio head Steven Sharif of spending the Kickstarter funds on his own lavish lifestyle.
Ashes of Creationwas the hot topic in the MMO community earlier this year. That’s because the online role-playing game from American developer Intrepid Studio was shut down at the end of Januaryunder rather spectacular circumstances.
Shortly after the game—which had been in development for ten years—finally launched in Early Access at the end of 2025, studio head Steven Sharif suddenly resigned from his post in January. The entire studio staff was laid off shortly thereafter without receiving their final pay; the game has since been removed from Steam.
The hiring of an alleged private chef, which NefasQS is attempting to substantiate with reports from former Intrepid employees, is also causing a stir:According to various employees, a private chef was hired for the company, but they never saw the chef at work; the chef only cooked for John and Steven at their home. Instead, employees were promised that the chef would cook for them in the future, or that the chef could not cook at the workplace due to a licensing issue with the commercial kitchen.
Although NefasQS has posted onlinea Google spreadsheet detailing the studio’s alleged expensesand, according to his own statements, had his research verified by former employees. However, the authenticity of the document and the general veracity of the allegations made by NefasQS and investor Jason Caramanis cannot be independently verified at this time.
Former Studio Head Denies the Allegations
Speaking to the American gaming portalKotakuthe former Intrepid CEO has now responded to the allegations made against him and criticized them as defamatory. Sharif writes:
NefasQS was fed false and defamatory information by individuals with their own agendas in order to play out this dispute in the public arena, in addition to our lawsuit already pending in federal court. Instead of verifying these claims, he chose to repeat them, thereby acting as a mouthpiece for a narrative that generates clicks and views.
[…] Regarding the more general claims:
- There was absolutely no embezzlement of Kickstarter funds.
- The project was funded over many years through a combination of various sources, including significant personal capital.
- Claims regarding a “lavish lifestyle” or the personal embezzlement of company funds are categorically false.
A review of the facts in the context of the legal proceedings has already revealed that the parties behind these allegations orchestrated an unlawful enforcement action to strip the developers of Ashes of Creation of control over Intrepid’s assets, with the intent to exploit those assets for their own benefit.
In the process, hundreds of developers were laid off without notice, without pay, and without benefits, which violates applicable law. These matters are being resolved through the court proceedings. We will soon file additional documents with the court that present the evidence and further substantiate the nature and intent of the conduct that led to the destruction of Intrepid.
The veracity of Sharif’s statements cannot currently be independently verified. Since most former Intrepid employees are bound by a non-disclosure agreement and several lawsuits related to the studio’s closure are still pending, it will likely be some time before the circumstances surrounding the discontinuation of Ashes of Creation are fully clarified. In the link box above, you can find all further information regarding the game’s inglorious end.
