The now-defunct MMO Ashes of Creation ended in controversial circumstances in February, almost immediately after releasing in early access. The team behind the most funded MMO Kickstarter ever ($3.3 million), Intrepid Studios, underwent mass layoffs as its founders all but abandoned the project.
A condition of the project was that backers would receive refunds if the game was never released. Many suspect the half-baked early access release was intended to circumvent the requirement to refund players, hence why Intrepid Studios "released" the game and then immediately folded.
A spotlight was also shone on studio founder Steven Sharif, who raised suspicions by claiming he was hamstrung by the actions of the "board" despite previously claiming he answered to no one regarding Ashes of Creation.
Investor Jason Caramanis then accused Sharif of misappropriating Kickstarter funds, a story that was picked up by Kotaku and YouTuber NefasQS. The latter claims to have evidence that Sharif spent Intrepid's money on personal items such as cigars, trading cards, and Fortnite microtransactions.
NefasQS claims to have compiled Intrepid's transactions on a Google Sheet, which includes $700 spent on Fortnite for "research and development," among other irregularities.
For instance, NefasQS says they've heard anecdotes from...
