Ashes of Creation has been on MMORPG fans’ radars for nearly a decade. Announced back in 2016, the long-anticipated sandbox MMO finally entered its newest early access phase on December 11—and the launch has quickly become a lightning rod for criticism. Between server problems, lengthy queues, and gameplay many feel still needs extensive development time, the early access debut is drawing mixed reactions from players, especially on Steam.
Right out of the gate, many players reported being stuck in long login lines. For those who did get in, frustration often continued. A common complaint is that the current build feels too unfinished to justify the $49.99 early access price tag, even by early access standards. Critics argue that the overall experience needs far more refinement, with some suggesting the game may take years to reach the level of polish expected from a major MMORPG.
Beyond performance and content concerns, a new controversy is fueling even more backlash: claims of censorship and deleted criticism. One Steam review that has been widely discussed, written by Damien Scott, accuses moderators of removing negative feedback leading up to the early access release. Scott alleges that “every single critical post about the game” was deleted, including posts from supporters who say they’ve spent significant sums backing the project over the years. He also claims similar patterns of deletion or suppression across multiple community spaces tied to the game, including the official forum and social platforms.
Scott’s account doesn’t appear to be an isolated complaint. Other long-time followers of the project say they’ve experienced or witnessed similar removals. Some readers have even noticed that Google searches can show indexed Steam discussion threads that no longer exist when clicked—adding more fuel to claims that criticism is being scrubbed rather than addressed. While platform moderation policies typically allow wide discretion in shaping discussions, the core allegation here is that legitimate critiques are being targeted disproportionately compared to genuinely abusive or offensive content.
This isn’t the first time Ashes of Creation has faced public controversy. After a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017, the project was criticized over a referral program that rewarded players with in-game currency for recruiting additional supporters—an incentive structure that was widely viewed as conflicting with Kickstarter’s guidelines, yet reportedly continued. The game’s leadership has also faced allegations related to questionable promotional behavior in the past, which has contributed to ongoing skepticism among some corners of the MMORPG community.
At the heart of the debate is whether Ashes of Creation is simply trying to do too much, too soon. As a sandbox MMORPG, it’s aiming beyond the traditional questing-and-raiding structure that players associate with genre staples like World of Warcraft. The game’s concept leans into player-driven worldbuilding through systems that allow communities to shape and develop regions—an ambitious design that requires complex mechanics to function smoothly. For critics, that ambition makes the early access release feel premature, with some speculating that financial pressure may have forced the studio’s hand.
For now, Ashes of Creation early access sits in a tense spot: a highly anticipated MMORPG grappling with technical hurdles, value concerns, and a growing dispute over how criticism is handled publicly. Whether the game can recover momentum may depend not only on fixes and updates, but also on how openly its community feedback—especially negative feedback—is allowed to remain visible and be addressed.
