The highly anticipated Ashes of Creation MMORPG has encountered significant challenges after the launch, leading numerous backers to wonder if they will receive the refunds they were led to expect. Over five years ago, this ambitious project successfully garnered over $3 million on Kickstarter, delivering a straightforward promise to backers: refunds would be issued if the game failed to launch. As the MMO did technically launch on Steam, a legal and community discussion has sparked regarding the implications for refunds.
Kickstarter Went Wrong
Ashes of Creation promised backers during its 2017 crowdfunding campaign that they would get their money back if the game didn’t come out. That sentence was proudly highlighted in the campaign description and became a standard for what the community expected.
Even with that confidence, it’s crucial to know how Kickstarter works. If a crowdfunded project fails, the site itself does not immediately give back money. Most of the time, backers are helping a creative make something new, and Kickstarter’s conditions of use say that backers are not guaranteed a refund. Kickstarter does not handle refunds after funding. Instead, it falls on the project developer to fulfill the promise of a refund.
Early Access Launch Sparks Controversy
In December 2025, Ashes of Creation became available on Steam Early Access after almost ten years of development. Early Access is a type of launch, but it’s not a full official release. The game was still in an early build that wasn’t finished. Even still, many utilized the Steam listing to say that a launch did happen, which could mean that backers who thought there would be no launch would not get their money back.
Reports started coming out soon after Ashes of Creation’s Early Access release that the studio making it is basically falling apart. Just a few weeks into the Steam Early Access period, reports of large layoffs and leadership resignations are coming in.
Backers Speak Out Online
Original Kickstarter backers are arguing on Reddit and other community sites about whether they can still get their money back now that the game is “live” on Steam. Some people say that Steam’s definition of “launch” lets developers avoid having to give refunds. Others say that this is a legal loophole that has been used to keep millions of dollars generated over the past ten years.
Because Valve’s own rules regulate Steam refunds, things have become more complicated. Some users tried to get their money back there, but many say they were turned down once they went above Steam’s normal playing restrictions.
The Legal Loopholes
Backers may not be able to get their money back if the Kickstarter campaign doesn’t say it in the right way, and courts may not agree on what a “launch” means. Some legal experts think that releasing an Early Access version could count as launching, which would theoretically keep the campaign’s pledge. Some people say that a half-baked alpha version doesn’t live up to the spirit of that promise.
Kickstarter is still clear that it doesn’t get involved in refund disputes at the platform level and that the money goes straight to the creator after the project is fully funded. This means that backers may have to ask the developers for their money back directly, or go through the courts if they think commitments were not kept.
High-Tier Backers Lose Out on Special Perks
The controversy is especially shocking for a tiny group of backers who spent thousands of dollars on top-tier campaign rewards, such as invites to VIP launch parties and other exclusive benefits. A lot of these supporters are stuck in limbo because the studio’s future is unclear, and the promise of a refund is complicated by the fact that they qualify for Early Access.]
As the story of Ashes of Creation continues to unfold, both supporters and future players are keeping a close eye on it to see if this decade-long crowdfunded MMORPG will be regarded as a warning about crowdfunding or as a legal precedent for what players can expect when they ask for a refund in game development.
