Ashes of Creation: Kickstarter Funds Squandered by CEO?
According to the accusation, the money raised was spent on living the high life
Ashes of Creation represents a paradigmatic case in the video game industry. The project was presented as a potential MMO game-changer, capable of revitalizing the genre from stagnation. These proclamations were met with public enthusiasm, and the game secured over 3 million in funding via Kickstarter. After a very long wait, Ashes of Creation was released in early access in December 2025, but it utterly failed to deliver on its promises and was sadly canceled in February.
Accusations Leveled Against the CEO of Intrepid Studios
We provide a detailed account of the events in this special report. Now that Ashes of Creation's journey has concluded, some rather unsavory behind-the-scenes details about the game's production are emerging. Content creator NefasQS claims to have obtained the accounting ledger of Intrepid Studios, the software house responsible for developing Ashes of Creation, and provides a detailed account in a video.
According to information gathered by NefasQS, former Intrepid CEO Steven Sharif and his husband John Moore allegedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars belonging to the studio on Amazon purchases, hiring private chefs, buying Magic the Gathering cards, and other expenses to support their lifestyle. A significant portion of the funds raised on Kickstarter was therefore allegedly diverted from game development and allocated for personal use.
The CEO's Response
Contacted by Kotaku, Steven Sharif provided his version of events. The former CEO claims that NefasQS merely repeated accusations that have already been made in court (there is a pending lawsuit on the matter), without first verifying them. According to Sharif, not only are these allegations false, but they were circulated by individuals interested in harming him to gain control of Ashes of Creation's assets.