The MMO market has been a stagnant landscape of giants for almost a decade now. Titans such as World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls Online, and Final Fantasy XIV, have each taken massive chunks out of the western MMO market, and it has been hard for smaller games to break into the market and provide innovation.
So, it’s no surprise that players are hungry for something new and exciting. With the formula of MMOs stuck in a few key franchises, a sense of longing for a more daring attempt at a next-gen MMO has been festering in the hearts of veterans worldwide.
Yet one bright spark in this struggle is Ashes of Creation, developed by Intrepid Studios. Charging out from its development cave, Intrepid seem committed to revolutionizing the western MMO formula, and bringing us something new and exciting to experience.
The Crowdfunded Quiet Masterpiece
Intrepid was founded by Steven Sharif, and John More, and their first version of Ashes of Creation was version alpha 0 in 2017. The project was originally funded by Sharif and More themselves, before opening the project up to crowdfunding in 2017.
Since then the MMO has quietly developed alongside the fans, and now sports an impressive arsenal of features, each crafted by developers that are clearly in touch with the players who love the genre. The studio seems invested in bringing new life to the western MMO formula.
Core Philosophy
Ashes of Creation is built around the core idea of players bringing change to the world. They have developed a complex node system that, as players complete activities in the zones, will build a unique server landscape depending on player actions.
Players can even go as far as to build zones up into cities, elect majors, and build their own player structures within the developed zones. This means that much of the landscape will be a contested environment, better start brushing up on those skills!
This is only one of the many interesting mechanics of Ashes of Creation, and I recommend you check out their Youtube channel to learn more.
Many Youtubers and Twitch personalities have also done videos about the game, including a very good video by The Lazy Peon that goes over all the features in depth. The best first step to learning more about Ashes would be to watch Peon’s breakdown.
When Can I Play it?
Intrepid have stated that version Alpha 1 will be out in 2020. Like most crowdfunded projects, Intrepid offers a wide range of founder packs to get early access to the game, which is due to kick off as soon as Alpha 1 drops.
Think you might hop on the hype train, and find out what’s happening with Ashes of Creation?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!