Former Ashes of Creation CEO Says He Won First Legal Victory

The Kickstarter-funded MMORPG Ashes of Creation was removed from the Steam storefront on February 2 amid a collapse that involved more than a hundred developers being laid off without their final month’s pay, an investor accusing the company’s CEO of financial fraud, and multiple lawsuits alleging violations of the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act.

Steven Sharif, the former CEO of developer Intrepid Studios, posted a lengthy statement on the game’s Discord server after claiming a “first legal victory” against Intrepid’s Board of Directors. Sharif said he had chosen to remain silent publicly so the dispute could be decided “in court, where the facts matter and where evidence would determine the outcome.” He described filing suit on behalf of shareholders against the Board, led by Chair Rob Dawson, and an affiliated entity, TFE Games Holdings LLC.

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