For some, Ashes of Creation is the great hope that another great new MMORPG will come from the West. The indie project has been in development since 2016 and is considered the spiritual successor to the failed Everquest Next. For the YouTuber and Twitch streamer Narc, this hope has been dashed after 4 years. He takes a harsh stance against the MMORPG. This even brings the head of the game, Steven Sharif, into action.
Who is Narc? The YouTuber and Twitch streamer Narc has been publishing Ashes of Creation content almost exclusively for some time and has specialized in the MMORPG.
In a month, 8 different videos appear with topics like Ashes of Creation is more ArcheAge than Archeage 2, Here is the long-awaited PvP showcase or Is Ashes of Creation just a scam to attract whales?.
Narc says: He has a critical perspective on the MMORPG and doesn’t want any personal contact with the devs, but rather looks at the project from the outside. He generally finds it absurd that an MMORPG sells early access for $250.
In 2023, Narc was even the largest Twitch streamer for MMORPG. But that ended in 2024 when PirateSoftware decided to tell more about Ashes of Creation. PirateSoftware has 10 times more reach than the relatively small specialist Narc and is absolutely raving about the new MMORPG.
But Narc apparently ran out of steam at the beginning of 2025. He’s lost patience with Ashes of Creation and is counting on the game.
Ashes of Creation trailer for the first alpha
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YouTuber accuses Ashes of Creation of being more appearance than reality
This is his criticism: In a “This is my final Ashes of Creation video” video, Narc lists a list of problems he has with the game. This can be summarized in these points:
The streamer says he is distancing himself from the game and the alpha. In the video he sounds frustrated and charged with the situation surrounding the MMORPG and especially with what he believes to be fraudulent communication from the developers. In a comment on the video, he wishes the developers much success and only the best:
Boss of the MMORPG says: The journey is not for everyone
This is what the boss says: Intrepid’s boss, millionaire Steven Sharif, has spoken out about the allegations, finding a tone that lies between harsh denial and understanding (via Reddit).
On the one hand, he says: The allegations are untrue and defamatory. The people who were banned from Reddit were part of Narc’s community, who then bragged about the ban they provoked in his stream.
Sharif says he welcomes Narc’s decision to step away from Ashes of Creation. It is during the complex development of an MMORPG that difficulties arise: “The journey is not for everyone.”
Developing a game is extremely complex, and developing an MMORPG is even 10 times more complex. The time will come when there will be a lot of advertising and marketing for Ashes of Creation, but the time is not yet. At some point the game will be ready for more players and tests, then money will be spent on advertising, but that time is not now and he said that again and again every month.
The most important thing that can be said about Ashes of Creation right now, and what Narc also recognized, is that it’s not finished yet.
Development time for an MMORPG is frustrating for everyone
That’s what lies behind it. Sharif’s answer is clear and well-worded, but the YouTuber’s frustration is also understandable.
Games like Ashes of Creation are in a bind: they have to present an attractive version of the game and sell it to fans in order to get players’ financial support. Because Ashes of Creation wants many players to buy into the expensive alphas and betas.
At the same time, the game is still in development. It’s not actually intended to be shown and played yet. An MMORPG in development is not optimized for factors such as fun or playability. With another financing model you wouldn’t even see it.
With traditionally developed MMORPGs, for example from South Korea, it is completely common for them to go dark and you won’t hear anything for years, even if you have already seen a demo in which the MMORPG looked almost finished. During the development of Lost Ark, players often thought that the game had been abandoned for a long time, so Smilegate maintained a radio silence and developed in silence.
For someone who, as a YouTuber, supports the development of such a project professionally, an open development like Ashes of Creation is a frustrating situation, because there is always talk of supposed highlights and milestones in the development that don’t trigger the hype or bring the success that a YouTuber hopes for.
Sharif is absolutely right: For most players, it is the healthiest and most normal thing to only start playing a game when the developer calls out: We’re ready, everyone, we’re done. As long as the “sausage is still being made,” as Sharif says, it is sometimes better not to look closely.
It must also be said that Ashes of Creation has had to listen to accusations for 8 years that some things in the development and financing of the model seem a bit wild. Even after such a long time, the game has not lost its image: Millionaire explains why his MMORPG is great and he is not a pyramid system fraud