Ashes Development Update

Development Update with Sneak Peek of The Anvils and Playthrough of Jundark

Ashes of Creation has garnered significant interest from Ruinous, a gaming community known for its passion for immersive MMORPGs, due to its ambitious design and player-driven world. Developed by Intrepid Studios, Ashes of Creation is currently in its Alpha Two phase, with small team testing revealing a dynamic, evolving world where player actions shape everything from city development to large-scale PvP wars. The game’s node system, which allows villages to grow into metropolises based on collective player effort, aligns closely with Ruinous’ preference for meaningful, community-driven gameplay. Its blend of open-world PvP and PvE, reminiscent of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning’s massive Realm vs. Realm campaigns, offers a gritty, strategic depth that excites Ruinous members. The promise of guild politics, trade routes, and siege battles further echoes the large-scale, socially intricate mechanics that made Warhammer Online a standout, positioning Ashes as a spiritual successor with a modern Unreal 5 based experience.

“Ashes’ potential to deliver a fresh, immersive experience through its innovative systems and high-fidelity Unreal Engine visuals makes it a highly anticipated title for 2025 and beyond.”

In comparison to other PvE-focused MMORPGs like The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) and Guild Wars 2, Ashes of Creation differentiates itself by prioritizing player agency over scripted content, appealing to Ruinous’ desire for a less predictable, more impactful experience. While ESO excels in storytelling and lore, its combat has been criticized for feeling lackluster, and Guild Wars 2, despite its vibrant world and fast-paced combat, often lacks engaging endgame content beyond raids and PvP. Ashes’ focus on a player-shaped world, with no preset cities outside starting areas, contrasts with the more structured narratives of ESO and Guild Wars 2, offering a sandbox-like freedom akin to what Ruinous seeks post-World Soul Saga in World of Warcraft. As the top fantasy MMORPG on Ruinous’ radar, Ashes’ potential to deliver a fresh, immersive experience through its innovative systems and high-fidelity Unreal Engine visuals makes it a highly anticipated title for 2025 and beyond.

On Wednesday, April 30, 2025, Intrepid Studios broadcast their Ashes of Creation April Development Update live on Twitch with Creative Director, Steven Sharif, and Director of Communications, Margaret Krohn.

• Alpha Two Phase III Testing Schedule

During the livestream, the Intrepid Studios team showcased new Alpha Two content, taking players on a journey across the vibrant tropical waters of the Turquoise Sea and into the depths of the Jundark jungle. The broadcast also featured a first look at The Anvils – a newly revealed starting area and the ancestral homeland of the Dünzenkell dwarves. Nestled within a formidable mountain range, The Anvils offer a glimpse into a legacy forged in stone and fire, where dwarven craftsmanship has flourished for centuries.

The stream concluded with an interactive Q&A, where the development team addressed community questions about timelines, future features, and what’s ahead for Alpha Two.

Reminder: Ashes of Creation is an open and transparent development project, so you’ll see work-in-progress art, systems, and mechanics. Feel free to leave your feedback in the video comments or on our forums, and let us know what you think of these new additions!

Alpha II

Join the Alpha

Are you ready to make your mark in the gaming world? By joining our Alpha Two testing phase, you’ll have a unique opportunity to help shape the most glorious MMORPG!

Merge, Fresh Start, & Wipe Notice

A New Challenge Awaits

A new dawn rises over Verra, and with it – a challenge worthy of legends. As two realms merge into one, the battlefield resets, the nodes lie unclaimed, and the world holds its breath. This is your moment to carve your name into the stone of the final months of Phase II. Bring your hard-earned strength, your forged steel, and your sharpened will – for what lies ahead is a thunderdome of ambition, alliance, and unrelenting conquest. The path to Phase III begins here, and only the bold shall shape the future. Glory is calling.

April 30 – Merge System Test

On April 30, 2025, we will merge the Vyra and Lyneth realms into a single realm named Resna (US East). Lotharia will not be merged. During this test, Resna will be the only realm available. This critical test will validate our realm merge process, and we encourage all testers to fully participate to help us assess system performance and stability.

As part of the merge, certain systems—including nodes, mayorships, freeholds, vehicles, cargo, and other realm-based systems—will be reset. However, key player progress will be preserved. Character levels, experience, skill trees, artisan progression, and inventory will carry over. Warehouse items will remain available once their respective nodes reach level one, and items held in citizenship warehouses can be accessed again if the player regains citizenship in that node. Additionally, the Resna realm character slot limit will increase to ten, and in cases of name conflicts, character names will be adjusted with suffixes such as -Vyr or -Lyn.

May 1 – Transition to Realm Stress Testing

Beginning May 1, 2025, we will shift to focused realm stress testing for the remainder of Phase II. A Fresh Start Realm, Shol (US East), will become available for all testers, with access expected to open around 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Shol will follow our normal 5+ day testing schedule. With this transition, Resna and Lotharia will be taken offline to concentrate efforts on stress testing Shol, and all users will need to create new characters. While additional realms may be added later if needed, there are currently no plans to bring others online during this period.

August 4 – Potential Wipe for Phase III

To support meaningful testing and ensure the integrity of data collection, a full character and progression wipe may occur at the start of Phase III on August 4, 2025. If needed, this wipe would apply to all active realms to ensure testing accurately reflects updates to systems, balance, and optimizations. A final decision is still under evaluation based on testing data and upcoming system changes, but we want to provide early notice so players are aware of the possibility.

Realm Status Updates

For ongoing updates and further testing information, please follow our Alpha-Two-News channel on Discord.