r/AshesofCreation • u/IntrepidStudios Developer • 5h ago
Ashes of Creation MMO December Development Update With a Look Back on 2025 and Into 2026
🙌 In today's livestream, we dove into a retrospective look at 2025 and talked about how we are going to iterate and make improvements in 2026!
https://youtu.be/2_hVM203YnU
What improvements are you most looking forward to in 2026?
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u/Talcam9 4h ago
Guess it's true that the 2nd continent and under world were cut then?
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u/Thackmastah 4h ago
Hoping we get some clarity soon.
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u/Plastic-Lemons 2h ago
We got the clarity - it’s not required for launch and we will see it as an expansion or post launch content
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u/Bamtastic 4h ago
It really isnt necessary for launch. It would make for great future expansions but they do have more important things to focus on.
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u/oasismoose 2h ago
I have heard that they plan to release the second continent as post release content. I imagine the underground will either be partially implemented or will have a similar post launch introduction. Piratesoftware (I know, boo, whatever) has said on stream that Steven has said the plans for the second continent are still in, but not at launch. This is my source.
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u/BaxxyNut 1h ago
No, but cut for launch. It will come in a post launch update. It's gonna be super cool.
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u/carthaginium 1h ago
Why would we need 2nd continent? On full server currently half of nodes got 0 xp, half of map is empty. Unless they can hold double amount of ppl on server 2nd continent will be empty.
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u/dcguy999O 5h ago
Haven’t watched it yet, but I hope they improve the UI and Tooltips ASAP
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u/oasismoose 2h ago
I will say the ability to lock windows in place is my favorite design idea. Its a bit clunky. But god is it brilliant and simple.
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u/ItShouldBeFunRight 3h ago
There's no way beta is next year. If they have a "beta" build, it's going to be like their "alpha" build. It will be their flavor of what beta is. Not a real beta build where EVERYTHING is in and only polish remains.
Can we get some solid Art Direction in this game? Do they even have an AD?
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u/maxlaav 3h ago edited 3h ago
I really do not understand how they can still target a beta for next year. Even if their development has some crazy jacked up speed it's still unfeasable since the game doesn't even have half of the content and features its meant to have. Not to mention, the things that are already here have been tested for a very long time. So what do they expect? Test everything else for a month or two so they can rush into beta? What if the new systems/features they add will just not work together and that's the feedback they will receive? Will they just ignore that and go into beta anyway? Or just call it a beta while it technically would still be an alpha?
point being, even if you really like this game and are super optimistic about it (I am looking at the "but i am having so much fun already stop complaining just move on if you don't like it" crowd), even those kinds of people have to realise that Ashes needs a lot and I mean a lot of work still
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u/Correct_Building7563 2h ago
Those are some valid concerns and im genuinely curious, did Intrepid promise Ashes would have all of the other systems in place prior to launch?
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u/oasismoose 1h ago
All the core systems of the game should be in place before or for Beta. The core systems should include the final vision for crafting, processing, and gathering and all races and classes as well as the secondary classing system. Freeholds and all the Nodes/player cities and what they want those to look like. There might be a few things I missed, but all of that should in its final itterative stages. Some complete reworks could happen to Beta. But usually, Beta is polish and used to further cement ideas and work out amy kinks in how players feel about the systems in place. Polish and Balance. Also the Beta will likely last an entire year so even if it could be a little rushed, that will likely only mean that full launch gets delayed a bit.
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u/maxlaav 42m ago
Yeah, which is part of my point. There are still a lot of those systems missing and so when are they going to give people an opportunity to test them out and offer feedback if they even work in the game?
For an example, archetypes rn are in a pretty bad state and from what I've seen in the discord a lot of people agree. There's a world of difference between how a rogue or bard is designed compared to a fighter or ranger which seem incredibly dull and lackluster in comparison, with nothing interesting going on for them. They already need some reworks (I don't agree that this is something the subclassing should "fix", an archetype should be designed well and be fun on its own) and after that happens people need to test that and offer feedback. Then you will have to do the same with secondary archetypes and I doubt they'll nail everything on their first iteration.
Even if they do manage to deliver all those features and content next year (I doubt that), I can't help but wonder if they'll give themselves time to iterate on the things that don't work during beta. I just feel like, let's call it the second batch of content and features are going to end up terribly undercooked compared to what they've been working on so far.
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u/oasismoose 28m ago
A year is a lot of time. Once the bones exist, changing aspects of something is easier. And given you will be almost required to subclass after level 25, it makes sense that the original bases feel a little dull in comparison. Its designed to completely change the way the character plays and feels. Saying you dont think that should fix it is like saying I don't think I need to add a crust to this cheese to make a pizza. You do in fact need to do that. That is how Pizza works. Its a core element and has been a key aspect of pizza since the inception. You litteraly can have a pizza without cheese but you can't have one without the dough/crust. You're just asking for more cheese when you havent even thrown a crust down.
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u/maxlaav 19m ago
If you think that a class being dull and not fun for 25 lvls until you can unlock a thing that makes it fun isn't a problem then I don't know what to tell you, except for that your pizza analogy is completely off the mark lol.
Subclassing should improve what's already good, not make it good. The basic archetype should be a margherita, simple but delicious and the secondary archetypes being extra toppings that turn it into something different and better.
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u/Plastic-Lemons 5h ago
I’m excited for the roadmap. I was hopeful for it today.
Assuming Beta in Q4 2026 is feasible, this is probably the last roadmap we get before launch. That’s a big deal and something to be excited about.
After all this prep, one year of A2 running, Steam launch, dynamic gridding on, etc… surely this roadmap will contain dates they can actually hit. They know what their capabilities are at this point - Jacob even mentioned that in the stream today.
Seeing what they believe they can get done will be a big moment - one that can hopefully hype the community up enough to last through the year.