One of the highly anticipated MMORPGs, ‘Ashes Of Creation‘, went into early access around December 2025, after nearly a decade of development. In the current Sandbox meta, ‘Ashes Of Creation‘ really struck out to players. However, players are now looking for ways to refund the game.
Gamers were really eager to get into the game and play around with friends in a fantasy sandbox setting with stunning visuals and really good fights. But all this seems really uncertain now, as ‘Ashes Of Creation’s‘ future looks really grim now. And due to this, players are looking to have their games refunded.
How To refund ‘Ashes Of Creation‘ On Steam?
‘Ashes Of Creation‘ is reportedly getting shut down. This news comes after the studio behind the game, Intrepid Studios, went through major staff change, with the entire developer team getting laid off and the creator, Steven Sharif, stepping down, the gamers are now certain of the game getting sent to the gulag soon.
Related: Ashes Of Creation Reportedly Shuts Down Weeks After Early Access Launch
Now, players are looking to have the game refund. Getting a refund on Steam is really easy for players who have purchased ‘Ashes Of Creation‘ sometime in the last 14 days and have a playtime of less than 2 hours.
But for those players who do not meet any or both of the criteria, it isn’t that simple, as they are out of Steam’s refund policy. However, luckily for them, there is a way through which they can still get their money back.
- Step 1: Go to your Steam app on PC, not the website, but Steam app.
- Step 2: Hover over the “Help” tab on top-left, and click “Steam Support”.
- Step 3: Click “Games, Softwares, etc.”
- Step 4: Find ‘Ashes Of Creations’ there, click on it.
- Step 5: After clicking on the game, you’ll see the option “View Receipt”, click on it.
- Step 6: Now click “I have a question about this purchase”.
- Step 7: In the new window, a box to write details will appear, put this text into the box:
“Dear Steam Support Team,
I am requesting a refund for ‘Ashes of Creation‘ due to extraordinary circumstances related to the sudden collapse of the developer, Intrepid Studios, as of February 1, 2026.
This is not a standard refund request based on gameplay preference or dissatisfaction, but a report of a broken promise and an effectively abandoned Early Access product.
Reason for this request:
Studio Closure:
It has been widely reported that Intrepid Studios has ceased operations. Senior leadership has resigned, and the development team has been laid off, with WARN Act notices issued.
Abandoned Early Access Product:
Ashes of Creation was sold as an Early Access title with the explicit promise of continued development and future delivery of core features. With the studio dissolving, development has permanently halted, and the advertised product will never be completed.
Loss of Product Viability:
Without an active development team, the game’s servers are expected to shut down or become non-functional, rendering the product completely unplayable.
I respectfully ask Valve to treat this case similarly to previous precedents, such as The Day Before, where refunds were issued due to studio closure and false or unfulfilled advertising shortly after release. Given these circumstances, I request a manual review of this purchase, as the product is now effectively defunct and no longer deliverable as sold.” - Step 8: Make sure you put the “I request a manual review of this purchase” part, since that will get you a manual review for the refund instead of an automated one.
Why Is ‘Ashes Of Creation‘ Shutting down?
‘Ashes Of Creation‘ went into Early Access in December 2025. The game was in development for almost 10 years, but right after it went into early access, weeks after its debut, the game has become a lightning rod for controversy.
The game is about to become dead because no one is left in the development team to provide the game support and updates, as the entire Intrepid Studios development team was laid off. Following this, the founder of the studio, Steven Sharif, also stepped down, citing the reason to be the board members.
This massive decision, as per the founder, is because of the Board Members seizing control of the studio. But that’s where things get more confusing as gamers find out that the Board consisted of only Steven, and thus the reason behind this massive layoff is once again shrouded in mystery.
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As of right now, the studio has yet to make any official statements, but with the state of the studio, the end of the game is really near.
