Ashes of Creation is an MMORPG by Intrepid Studios, and it’s currently in Alpha Two Phase Three of its development cycle (and is currently playable today). Ashes of Creation is built around a player-driven world where cities, politics, economy, and combat evolve based on player activity.
The world within Ashes of Creation, Verra, is designed to change dynamically. As settlements grow through player contributions, they unlock new content (and new crafting stations), unlocking the ability to craft stronger gear and weapons to help take down stronger mobs scattered throughout the world.
The game itself has BIG plans with multiple in-depth systems that players can specialize in that will impact their gameplay in a unique way. This ranges from gathering skills, to crafting, to refining, to animal husbandry, and much, much more.
Core Features of Ashes of Creation
There are so many unique features included (and planned) to be within Ashes of Creation, that it would be impossible to highlight them all in one area. Below is a quick overview of some the big ones!
- Archetypes: Ashes of Creation provides the option to choose one of eight archetypes, unlocking the ability to use unique skills and weapons on the battlefield. At level 25, players will be able to choose a secondary archetype, providing a unique twist to their primary archetype’s abilities. Selecting this secondary archetype defines the player’s “class”, and there will be a total of 64 different classes (pictured below).
- Race: Upon character creation, players will also be able to select a specific race, which shapes your character’s appearance, culture, and lore. There are a total of nine different races to choose from – each with a unique backstory. See our Ashes of Creation Race Guide to see them all.
- Combat: The combat system in Ashes of Creation is a bit of a hybrid system that blends action-based and tab-target mechanics, giving players the flexibility in how the engage with their enemies. The entire system prioritizes the importance of mobility, skill-based timing and aiming, positioning, and using the right combos at the right time. The system supports both PvE and large-scale PvP.
- PvE Content: The lands of Verra are filled with unique PvE-related content, ranging from open-world dungeons to story-based quests to massive, open-world bosses with unique loot waiting to be claimed! Many updates are coming too, including the new Harbinger update coming in November that provides even more unique PvE-based content that actually impacts the world of Verra itself.
- PvP Content: Ashes of Creation is technically an open-world PvX game, where players can engage in PvP at any time – but at a cost. If a player tries to attack another player that isn’t flagged for PvP, it will auto-flag the attacker. If they kill the defending player without them fighting back, they will then be “corrupted”, which gives them not only major debuffs, but also they’ll drop equipped items when defeated. In other words, players likely won’t engage in PvP unless it’s mutual – otherwise there will be a major cost associated with it. Additionally, there are multiple forms of PvP other than just open-world, including Siege Wars, Guild Declarations, and many, many more coming soon (such as arenas). Don’t let this scare you away if you’re not a fan of PvP – players are not just killing eachother nonstop in the open world. There are MANY negative impacts to killing a non-flagged player, so most players won’t bother doing so.
- Professions: When it comes to the different types of professions in Ashes of Creation, you have many, many options. There are essentially three “categories” of professions – gathering, processing, and crafting. Each category has a list of professions within them, allowing players to do a form of different activities, such as cutting down trees or mining ore, processing those materials into unique items, and using those processed items to craft gear and weapons. Here’s the catch though – players will face limits to what they can master and will have to rely on other players to truly “max out” on everything. Players can only be “Grandmaster” in two professions for example. A full explanation and break-down of these limitations can be found in our Artisan Guide.
- Settlements: Previously known as “Nodes”, towns within the world of Verra are known as Settlements, and they will progress through stages and will even visibly change as players contribute more and more resources into them. As settlements progress, new stations will be unlocked, providing the ability for players to craft a wider range of items. Players also will have the option to become a citizen at one settlement, and can even vote on a mayor to represent the settlement as a whole!
- Mounts: Traveling around the world of Verra may feel a bit different than other MMOs, and that’s because there are no teleport shrines. Instead, you have to travel by foot – or mount! There are MANY different types of mounts in Ashes of Creation, each with a unique mount speed and appearance, and some even being water-based. There are also a certain amount of flying mounts that mayors will have access to, which really mixes up the mount game!
There are many, many more features within Ashes of Creation, but the ones highlighted above give you a closer look at what this MMO has to offer. For a closer look at some Ashes of Creation gameplay, as well as what has recently been added to the game, take a look at the video below.
When’s the Next Ashes of Creation Update?
The next major update coming to Ashes of Creation is known as the “Harbinger Update”, which is schedules to go live on November 18, 2025. Major additions include the launch of the Summoner archetype, the new “Harbinger” system, the Ren’Kai race, mules, new world bosses, economy features, and even sport fishing! Additional details can be found below.
The official launch of Ashes of Creation is not yet announced, but it is expected to be at least two years away. Until then, you can still start playing Ashes of Creation today and play with others as the game continues to develop and grow.
How to Start Playing Ashes of Creation
If you are interested in joining in on the fun and playing Ashes of Creation, then create an account here and visit the “shop” section of the Ashes of Creation website to purchase your key. Upon purchase, you will receive access to play the rest of Alpha Two, along with a key for Beta 1 and Beta 2. Additionally, you will receive your one month of gameplay for Ashes of Creation upon launch, $15 worth of embers (in-game marketplace credits), and access to the PTR.
