Ashes of Creation Phase 3 is delayed, but the giant new MMORPG will stay online

0
57

Ashes of Creation Phase 3 is delayed, but the giant new MMORPG will stay online

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases and other affiliate schemes. Learn more.

Ken Allsop's Avatar

Launching a new MMORPG against the long-established giants is a daunting prospect. World of Warcraft, FF14, Guild Wars 2, Runescape, Eve Online; the list goes on, making it a tough task to craft a fresh world that can attract and sustain a long-term community. Nine years since it was first announced, Ashes of Creation is steadily marching through its mammoth Alpha Two test period, with developer Intrepid Studios insistent on taking the time to get things right. With this in mind, it now confirms that the playtest's next phase will start a little later than originally planned, but lays out just what improvements we can expect.

Creative director Steven Sharif has been quick and consistent to emphasize that he doesn't consider Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 to be a game yet, but rather a testing environment. Each incremental stage ramps it closer to that final product, however, and to becoming something worthy of ranking among our best MMORPGs. The next big shift will come with the launch of Alpha 2 Phase 3, which was previously scheduled to start on Monday August 4, but Intrepid has now moved that date back by three weeks as it aims "to ensure phase three hits the quality bar it deserves."

This extra time will allow for "continued iteration, polish, and testing," Intrepid explains. It's looking to further refine the new starting area, the Anvils, which "arrived a little hotter than anticipated." The developer says it's "not aiming for content parity with the Riverlands starting zone," but wants to ensure that there's a strong "golden path" to guide players through their early steps.

YouTube Thumbnail

That means improvements to interior spaces, visual landmarks, environmental storytelling, and your introduction to systems such as pocket dungeons and node progression. Intrepid adds that it's also "streamlining and enriching the early-game experience for newcomers" across both the Riverlands and the Anvils to ensure first-time players have the best opening hours possible.

Level-four nodes are a big part of the incoming update, as they'll allow the creation of full-scale towns in each region. Intrepid calls it "a major step forward in shaping the world through player agency and fostering healthy competition between nodes as they specialize and evolve. However, the team needs additional time to "smooth out the level-four layout, enhance environmental set dressing, and improve UI elements related to Vassalship."

As previously discussed, both the economy and stats are being fairly dramatically overhauled; Intrepid says it intends to continue this rework based on recent feedback, and will use the extra time to test and tune these systems via the PTR (public test realm). It's also working on further backend optimization "to support larger, more stable play environments," and adds that the extra development time will also allow for enhancements to ambience, lighting, audio, and "navigation throughout key regions of the Anvils."

Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Phase 3 roadmap - A calendar with the MMORPG's next major update beginning on Tuesday August 26.

While you'll have to wait a while longer for the update, Intrepid notes that the PTR, which is now accessible to all players who have Alpha 2 access, will remain available until the launch of Phase 3. "As with any active development, delays happen," Sharif concludes, "We will stay focused on our outstanding work outlined above and provide updates as we continue with our PTR testing. Your support, passion, and time mean everything to us. We're building Ashes of Creation together, and it's your feedback that shapes each step forward."

Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 Phase 3 will start on Tuesday August 26, 2025. If you want to join, you'll need a key, which begins at $100 and includes future beta access, a month of game time, and $15 worth of Ashes of Creation's in-game marketplace currency, Embers.

If you're looking for something closer to completion, we've rounded up the best new MMOs in 2025. To truly immerse yourself in their worlds, take a look through our recommendations on the best gaming headset for PC.

You can follow us on Google News for daily PC games news, reviews, and guides. We've also got a vibrant community Discord server, where you can chat about this story with members of the team and fellow readers.

Cerca
Categorie
Leggi tutto
Elenco
Joan of Arc Was Way More Hardcore Than You Realize: 15 Wild Truths
Joan of Arc Was Way More Hardcore Than You Realize: 15 Wild Truths - History Collection...
By Test Blogger2 2025-07-24 18:00:06 0 94
Music
Rockers Respond to California's ICE Raid Protests
Rockers Respond to California's ICE Raid Protests + National Guard DeploymentThe current protests...
By Test Blogger4 2025-06-09 21:00:05 0 1K
Science
First Female Same-Sex Behavior Seen In Crickets, But Only Because We've Not Been Looking
First Female Same-Sex Behavior Seen In Crickets, But Only Because We've Not Been LookingFirst...
By test Blogger3 2025-07-23 15:00:13 0 125
Music
Study: Which Acts Most Often Help You 'Max Out' Your Workouts
Study Reveals Which Rock + Metal Acts Most Often Help You 'Max Out' Your WorkoutsEthan Miller...
By Test Blogger4 2025-06-17 14:00:07 0 845
Technology
PSA: You can get an iPhone 16 Pro Max from Verizon for free right now
Verizon promo: Get the iPhone 16 Pro Max for free Yes,...
By Test Blogger7 2025-06-16 16:00:27 0 948