Steam Breaks Own Rules to Refund Popular RPG, Check Eligibility Now
Steam is offering refunds for a popular RPG which is shutting down just two months after it launched.
Ashes of Creation, which was originally announced in 2016 and had a successful Kickstarter campaign a year later, was launched into Steam Early Access on 11 December, 2025.
The game had been made playable for years prior to this via closed beta testing, but its Steam launch was the public’s first opportunity to try the game out as an early access title.
However, the game was effectively cancelled last month following the resignation of the senior leadership team at Intrepid Studios.
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Following this, mass layoffs occurred at the developer, and the game was pulled from sale. While the exact future on the state of the game hasn’t been confirmed yet, it looks like it’s effectively been cancelled.
For people who have been following the game for years, and may have even helped fund it on Kickstarter, this is obviously a giant kick in the teeth.
The developer intended for Ashes of Creation’s Steam launch to help “develop this MMORPG in open partnership with our community”, which may never come to fruition now.
How to Check if You're Eligible for a Refund
While refunds for Kickstarter campaigns are generally unheard of (backing any project on Kickstarter comes with the risk that the project may not succeed), it appears that Steam has been offering refunds for players who submit a refund request with Steam, and it being approved following their communication with support.
“When the game was purchased, the product description explicitly promised 1 month of playable game time (as it's stated in Ashes Steam page when you buy the game),” wrote one player on Reddit, including a quote from the Steam store page which mentions “includes one month of game time after Early Access”.
They recommend other users to try the same, adding that “I don't see anyone stating this clearly when they make their tickets.”
Here is some more information successful claimants have included in their support ticket.
If you bought Ashes of Creation through Steam since it launched in Early Access, it might be worth seeing if you can get a refund for the game with it effectively being shuttered now.
“That promise will never be fulfilled, because the game Studio has closed,” the user adds. “This creates a scenario, where Steam refund policy doesn't reasonably apply. Steam’s refund window assumes the customer can evaluate the product within the refund period.
“But in this case, the content being sold (1 month of playtime) only becomes available after launch. The Launch was supposed to happen within a predictable timeframe, and the refund window expired before it became possible to know the promise would not be delivered.”
Steam's refund policy typically ensures a user can get a refund for their purchase as long as it was made in the last two weeks and hasn't surpassed two hours of playtime. Exceptions have been made in the past, however.
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The user then adds: “In short, Steam messed up by allowing Ashes to sell a promise of 1 month playtime in the future; that can NOT be tested within the refund time window; making Steam responsible in allowing a game to sell services that bypass the applicability of their own refund policy.”
Using the advice posted above, this may be the best way for you to see your money back.