Judge Orders Neutral Party to Oversee Ashes of Creation Assets During Legal Fight

The legal dispute around Ashes of Creation has another court-ordered step. Steven Sharif says a judge has granted his request to appoint a neutral party to safeguard Intrepid’s intellectual property and assets while his federal lawsuit against Intrepid’s board and TFE Games Holdings continues.

According to Sharif’s Discord update, that neutral party will also have oversight of any attempted foreclosure or sale involving the studio’s assets. The sides have until August 25 to agree on who fills that role. If they can’t, the court will appoint someone.

Sharif has claimed the board targeted him in an effort to damage his reputation and shape the public narrative around the situation. This latest update is from his side of the case, so it’s worth treating it as one part of an ongoing legal fight rather than the full picture.

There was also a separate determination involving what Sharif describes as founder-owned assets, including the Ashes of Creation domain and the game’s X, Reddit, Discord, and YouTube accounts.

The case follows months of uncertainty around Intrepid, including reports of the company’s collapse at the end of January, possible foreclosure, and questions about the future of Ashes of Creation itself. For now, the main concrete development is the court’s move to put control of key assets under neutral supervision while the case proceeds.