Ashes of Creation: Creative Director Requests Testers Not Participate if They Want to Play a Game

Promising upcoming title Ashes of Creation has made some strides throughout 2024, including the expansion of their Alpha 2 testing phase. With testing fully underway, the community is abuzz now that Alpha 2 is opening up for a wider audience, but Creative Director Steven Sharif has issued a candid warning to temper expectations. In a detailed response to a supportive Redditor, Sharif made it clear that Alpha 2 is not a polished product, urging players to approach it with realistic expectations of a game simply still in its Alpha phase.

“I think it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that Alpha Two will be a long process, and over time the systems and content will be released, sometimes those releases will feel scuffed and incomplete, because quite frankly they are,” Sharif explained. “And to be honest, it will not be a process that is for everyone. It will cause frustration at times, and perseverance to test. This is why I have consistently beat the drums of not participating if you are expecting to ‘play’ a game.”

Sharif also touched on the rarity of this transparency in the gaming industry: “There is a reason why the large majority of developers and publishers do not expose these phases of game development to the public. Software development, and particularly game development is long and arduous. You can take 3 steps forward, and 2 steps back at times.”

Acknowledging criticism, Sharif noted, “It is important to be discerning for some people who use an unfamiliarity with game development to cast allusions of mistrust. While I don’t want white knights to drown out valid criticisms, it is also important to stay vigilant against those who may sell negativity for profit/gain.”

This somewhat echoes a post Sharif responded to just a day prior, from a different Redditor who was disappointed with the inclusion of the Desert region recently released for testing. Some testers feel that Ashes of Creation hasn't lived up to the expectations the team set out for it, and the Desert was sold as something in the trailers, but in actuality it was missing certain aspects of the world. Sharif was quick to note that the assets from the initial biome preview are all there, even if some of them haven't been introduced to the game just yet. 

"The format is now in a more destructive state because we have just recently laid out a portion of the level designs and made space for the nodes, and POIs. This is part of development. It is a normal part of it. The desert will start to come in focus this January when the world team finishes its level design blockout." Sharif stated.

"There is nothing nefarious. It is very easy, to sit back as a uniformed content creator and cast allusions that play on people’s fears or negativity. It is easy to cultivate that audience when that is your focus. The mmo genre is filled with jaded gamers who feel like beat dogs, and rightfully so. But we are here, making this game. With over 100k people participating in this Alpha. We will continue to make the game in our vision. If the development process makes you think otherwise, I will repeat this, for your own mental health, step away. We will be here when you’re ready to return." he concluded.

Sharif’s messages underscore the importance of the development process and where the team is now, heading into their 8th year of development. While patience and perspective is important as Intrepid Studios drives development forward through 2025, it may be best for the wider MMORPG population to sit this one out. At least until the Beta version rears its head.