Where is Ashes of Creation Development in 2025
Ashes of Creation is one of the most awaited MMORPGs in development. Now that we’re in 2025, the game is at its peak stage of development, with Alpha Two Phase 2 well-underway. Where exactly is the Ashes of Creation now? What can we expect in the coming year?
Where is Ashes of Creation Right Now?
The game is deep in its Alpha Two Phase 2 testing phase, with over 130,000 players having tried the early build. Around 70–80% of core gameplay loops are implemented, though only about 20–30% of content is currently in place. The developers are actively refining combat, crafting, questing, and the game’s unique node system while expanding the world map. With a lot of active testers at any given time, Alpha Two is a critical phase where major gameplay mechanics are being polished.
The Evolution of Core Gameplay
Combat System Updates
One of the most important aspects of any MMORPG is combat, and Ashes of Creation continues to refine its action and tab-target hybrid system. Player feedback has led to improved animations, better hit detection, and a more responsive feel overall.
The Node System
Unlike other MMOs, Ashes of Creation lets players shape the world through its node system. Cities can rise and fall, elections determine leadership, and the economy is entirely player-driven. What’s more impressive is that architectural design of buildings in a node will be widely influenced by the dominant player demographic. In theory, a Human town could eventually become an Elven town if there is a shift in the racial demographic.
Artisanship and Crafting Progress
Crafting and resource gathering, are key elements of Ashes of Creation. Players can become skilled artisans, crafter, armorer, and even mounts through a detailed-progression system.
Massive Multiplayer Experience in Unreal Engine 5
One of the biggest concerns in Ashes of Creation‘s early-development was whether Unreal Engine 5 could handle large-scale MMO gameplay. With custom backend-solutions, the team/developers has successfully built a seamless open-world with impressive performance.
Siege Testing and PvP Mechanics
Large-scale sieges are a major focus, allowing hundreds of players to battle over control of territories. These events/actions will have real consequences, reshaping the world as nodes are destroyed or taken over.
Challenges and Setbacks
Misconceptions About Game Readiness
Because the game already looks visually stunning, some players mistakenly believe it’s close to release. However, much work remains before Ashes of Creation reaches Beta or a full launch.
The Long Road to Release
Many successful MMOs take a decade or more to develop. Ashes of Creation is following a similar path, ensuring quality over rushing to market.
What to Expect in 2025?
2025 will likely see continued Alpha Two Phase 2 refinements, with potential Beta testing later in the year. In May 2025, players will experience something new as the game will transition to Alpha Two Phase 3. The full release is still uncertain, but the roadmap suggests steady progress toward a finished product.
Pros and Cons of Ashes of Creation in Its Current State
Pros
- Revolutionary node system that allows players to shape the world
- Active developers engaging with the community
- Stunning visuals and deep world-building
Cons
- Still incomplete, with many features in early testing
- Bugs and performance issues common in Alpha builds
- Uncertain release date, meaning a long wait for some players
When is the Best Time to Join?
As Ashes of Creation continues its development/updates, many players are wondering, When is the best time to join into the game? While the answer depends on you, some suggests that the vest time is Phase 3 of Alpha 2.
Why Phase 3?
According to the developers, Alpha 2 is divided into multiple phases:
- Phase 1 & 2: Focus on stability, optimization, and performance testing.
- Phase 3: Introduces more balance, questing, and solo-friendly content, making it the closest experience to a completed MMORPG.
If you are a hardcore-tester, earlier phases may give you joy. However, if you want an optimal experience, with more content and features, Phase 3 is the way to go (solo-friendly content and gameplay).
How Much Progress Has Been Made?
Foundations vs. Content Development
Game development can be divided into two major stages:
- Foundation Work (Takes the Longest)
- Networking and server infrastructure
- Combat mechanics and class design
- Core game systems (nodes, economy, PvP, etc.)
- Content Creation (Faster to Develop)
- Biomes, quests, dungeons
- Art assets and environmental design
- Expanding existing systems
Currently, Ashes of Creation is transitioning from foundation building to content expansion, meaning players will see more rapid progress in upcoming phases.
What’s Left to be Done?
Before the game can shift to full content production, a few key systems still need completion:
- Artisan System – Crafting, gathering, and processing skills are being redesigned to include active abilities.
- Freeholds & Housing – The estate and barony system will allow players to place homes freely in the world.
- Node Sieges & Naval Combat – These large-scale PvP systems are essential to the game’s political and warfare mechanics.
- Vassal System & Trade Alliances – Nodes will form political and economic relationships, shaping player-driven diplomacy.
- Relic System – Rare artifacts will provide unique bonuses, encouraging conflict over resources.
The team/developers is confident that once these features are polished, Ashes of Creation can shift toward rapid content creation.
As Ashes of Creation continues to develop, fans were concerned and curious regarding the game’s graphics quality and artistic style. In recent times, the devs responded to these elements, providing insight into what the current visual improvements are and what the artistic style will be in the future.
Graphical Improvements Over Time
One of the key points made by the developers is that graphics are constantly evolving throughout development. Ashes of Creation has already undergone significant visual changes, and further refinements are expected as the game progresses toward launch.
Lighting is among the most influential contributors to such improvements. The devs are working tirelessly with fine-tuning lighting between spaces, for example, indoor spaces and day-night transitions. The game is leveraging the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5, in this case, its Lumen technology, to achieve dynamic and immersive lighting.
The development team includes professionals who have worked on graphically acclaimed titles like Hogwarts Legacy, ensuring that Ashes of Creation continues to improve in visual quality. Players can expect more graphical polish as the game moves forward, particularly in areas like the winter season at night, which is currently identified as needing enhancement.
Realistic Art Style with Fantasy Elements
Regarding art style, the developers emphasized that Ashes of Creation leans toward a semi-realistic approach rather than heavily stylized visuals.
Unlike games like World of Warcraft, which use exaggerated colors and forms, Ashes of Creation aims for a grounded yet visually striking world. While not aiming for ultra-realism, the game maintains a balance between believability and fantasy.
However, some players feel that the game currently lacks a distinct visual identity. In response, the developers reassured that more signature fantasy elements will be introduced as the world continues to be built. These include:
- Unique architectural and environmental designs for different factions and regions.
- High-fantasy NPCs and creatures that add a distinct touch to the world.
- Themed prop sets that reinforce the identity of different locations.
- Biome-specific flora and rock formations, such as pink trees in the desert and large crystal formations.
Creating a Recognizable Aesthetic
A common critique is that Ashes of Creation should have a recognizable style, much like Black Desert Online or New World, where a single screenshot immediately identifies the game. The developers acknowledge this and affirm that as more art passes are made, the game’s visual identity will become more distinct.
Players can expect these changes to be implemented gradually as the team refines the game’s narrative structures, quest environments, and world-building elements.
XP Rates in Alpha Two
One of the frequently asked questions in the Ashes of Creation community concerns the experience (XP) rates in Alpha Two Phase 2. Players are eager to know whether these rates will be adjusted, given that the intended leveling experience isn’t fully implemented, and most players are primarily grinding mobs.
From a testing perspective, there are distinct environments for different purposes. The Private Test Realm (PTR), which is currently accessible to all Alpha One participants, and will eventually expand to include Alpha 2 players, allows for accelerated testing. This realm provides vendors selling free gear, mounts, and experience scrolls, enabling testers to experiment freely before server wipes occur.
However, the Alpha 2 environment serves a different purpose. It is designed for a “soak test," meaning the development team wants to observe the game’s systems functioning over time. The objective is to have players experience the natural leveling process, which allows developers to gather meaningful bug reports and player feedback. Thus, XP rate modifications in Alpha 2 are unlikely unless a major server wipe is imminent. During the final weeks before such a wipe, developers may introduce special adjustments or unique in-game events.
Development Expectations and Setbacks
Ashes of Creation‘s history of development has been one of struggle and ambition. Creative Director Steven Sharif, who started out as an entrepreneur turned game developer from the ground up, has established a large and devoted studio in eight years. While he entered the project with an awareness of the challenges ahead, he admits that the difficulty of game development has surpassed his expectations.
Sharif acknowledges that work on Ashes of Creation has been the most difficult thing he’s ever done in life, not that working on games is necessarily more difficult than any other profession, but simply because he had to learn and develop so quickly. In spite of all that, he is satisfied with where the team has reached, how well they have performed, and the wonderful community backing the game.
The Most Difficult Setback
Perhaps the hardest part of development, according to them, has been keeping an open development process. While transparency has numerous benefits—such as interacting with players, getting feedback early, and gathering great feedback—it also comes with particular challenges. Developers encounter cynicism from some community members, including those questioning the legitimacy of the project or criticizing its development.
It requires top morale from the development team as the field never guarantees the most lucrative financial returns. The greatest reward for the team is that they get to see their labor materialize and be enjoyed by the players. Coping with negative reviews and skepticism has not been easy given the history of the gaming world being let down by other endeavors.
The Future of Ashes of Creation
In mid-year, it should be almost finished in terms of landscapes, vegetation life, and gatherable materials. This is similar to a large expansion update in a completely released MMO, showing the development team’s speed and efficiency.
In spite of doubt and criticism, Sharif is sure that the game will be a talk for itself after its release. He points out that Ashes of Creation will not be suited for everyone but for a specific audience that will appreciate a living, breathing world, equitable monetization, and open developer discussion.
As the game continuously grow, there will be ongoing tuning, fresh content, and a continued commitment to the vision that has driven the project since day one. The road to launch is a long one, but with each milestone achieved, Ashes of Creation inches ever nearer to being the groundbreaking MMORPG that it was always meant to be.
The Most Exciting Ashes of Creation Updates in 2025
As Ashes of Creation approaches a critical year, players are keen to learn what fresh content/features will fuel the game’s progression. Ashes of Creation‘s Creative Director Steven Sharif unveiled some information on the most anticipated updates of 2025 in a recent interview. Two systems led the most-anticipated list: Monster Coins and Node Sieges.
Monster Coins
One of the most highly anticipated mechanic/feature to come to Ashes of Creation is the Monster Coin System. The system will enable players to command NPC monsters, like raid bosses, for a temporary period for a series of events.
- Players can earn Monster Coins through in-game events.
- These coins have different rarities, with the rarest ones allowing players to control powerful creatures like raid bosses.
- As players use the system, they can progress and unlock abilities for the monsters they control.
- The system includes a skill tree, letting players develop different playstyles as NPCs.
- Success in this system will also reward unique cosmetics for players.
This introduces a dynamic element to PvE combat because combat is less predictable as some of the monsters could be controlled by real players and not AI.
Node Sieges and Political Drama
Another major update set to shake up the world of Ashes of Creation is the introduction of Node Sieges. These large-scale PvP events will allow players to fight for domination of the cities of the game, creating new political tensions across all servers.
- Players will battle/fight over scarce relics, which are housed within nodes and provide powerful benefits.
- Nodes that lose a siege will enter a ruin phase, where the destroyed city turns into an open PvP battleground.
- Here, players are able to plunder warehouses and abandoned treasures left behind by the destroyed node.
- This system will lead to emergent political drama, as rival nodes attempt to steal relics from each other.
The first round of Node Siege testing is scheduled for late March 2025, with full destruction mechanics rolling out in the following months.
The Future of Ashes of Creation
With these systems in place, 2025 will be a year of change for Ashes of Creation. With the inclusion of player-owned monsters and server politics, there will be new, community-created stories making each playthrough different. After each new update, players will experience even deeper and more unpredictable gameplay.
A lot of the information found in this post was gathered from the Lazy Peon interview with Steven Shariff.
That’s all the thrilling news heading to Ashes of Creation in 2025! From the high-stakes Monster Coin system to intense Node Sieges and political conflict, the year is already going to be a game-changer. It’s exciting to see how the community responds and how these features develop in the long term. Join our Discord for more news, information, and guides relating to Ashes of Creation! Also, visit our Main Page for more content!
