Ashes of Creation’s Steven Sharif sues Intrepid’s board, alleges sabotage and attempted takeover

Ashes of Creation studio head Steven Sharif has filed a lawsuit against lead investor Robert Dawson and several others tied to Intrepid Studios, claiming the company’s board deliberately drove the studio into crisis to seize control and assets.

According to the lawsuit filed this past weekend, Sharif is suing Dawson, Ryan Ogden, Theresa Fette, Aaron Bartells, TFE Games Holding, and Intrepid itself. The filing argues the defendants used “manufactured crises,” layoffs, and “bad faith foreclosures on secured loans” as part of an effort to force Sharif out and take over the company.

The complaint also alleges Dawson threatened to withhold payroll funding and pushed a corporate restructuring in May 2024 that increased Dawson’s voting power and reshaped the board. Sharif claims he was later locked out of company bank accounts in 2024, and that the board tried to defame him to the game’s community while pursuing a path toward foreclosure that would lead to a new entity, TFE Games Holding.

Sharif directly denies that he “intentionally misappropriated” company funds, pushing back on recent allegations from investor Jason Caramanis that accused Sharif of financial misconduct and massive debt. In this new filing, Sharif is seeking damages and injunctive relief aimed at stopping what he describes as an intentional effort to destroy the studio.

The 39-page document also includes a handful of other claims and details, including that a major corporation attempted to buy Intrepid in 2022/2023, that Sharif has dealt with an ongoing serious health issue, and that the game’s launch was once targeted for September 2026. The lawsuit further claims Steam cut ties with Intrepid in early February, and that current owners have been trying to bring back former developers in order to regain control over the tech.