Legal & project status

Independently authored server implementation

Evolve Community Server does not possess, distribute, or incorporate Intrepid Studios' proprietary server source code.

The Evolve server implementation, backend services, infrastructure, and game-service logic have been independently authored by Spectre Games LLC, except for separately identified third-party or open-source components used in accordance with their respective licenses.

The underlying server technology originated from MMO server technology developed by Spectre Games LLC for its own Unreal Engine projects and was subsequently adapted to interoperate with the Ashes of Creation client.

Compatibility research has included observation of client behavior, analysis of network communications and protocol behavior, and review of publicly available and community-created technical research.

Those research materials are distinct from the Evolve server implementation itself. Spectre Games LLC does not claim to have independently created third-party research materials used during interoperability research.

Creation of Ashes community acknowledgment

Evolve Community Server acknowledges and credits the Creation of Ashes ("CoA") team and community for their historical technical research concerning Ashes of Creation.

Among those contributions was a community-created collection of network packet captures and related research materials. Members of the CoA team and community contributed to collecting, cleaning, organizing, curating, documenting, and publishing those materials for community research.

Those materials provided useful historical research and reference information during analysis of client/server behavior and protocol interoperability.

Spectre Games LLC does not claim authorship or ownership of research materials created by the CoA team and community.

This acknowledgment concerns research and reference materials and does not imply that the CoA team or community authored, owns, controls, or is responsible for the independently authored Evolve server implementation.

Where Evolve Community Server reproduces or distributes material originating from a CoA repository, that material remains subject to its original copyright notices and license terms, including the applicable GNU General Public License terms where identified by the original repository. Nothing in Evolve's use or distribution of such material is intended to remove or supersede those notices or licenses.

Interoperability and reverse-engineering research

Evolve Community Server is designed to interoperate with legitimately acquired copies of the Ashes of Creation client.

Interoperability research is conducted for the purpose of identifying and understanding functional behavior, interfaces, communications, protocols, and other technical requirements necessary for independently authored software to communicate with the client.

Evolve's production server implementation is intended to contain independently authored implementation code and does not incorporate Intrepid Studios' proprietary server source code or game-client source code.

Research into functional behavior or interoperability should not be understood as a claim of ownership over Intrepid Studios' copyrighted expression, game assets, source code, trademarks, or other protected intellectual property.

Spectre Games LLC reserves all rights, limitations, exceptions, and defenses available under applicable law, including, where applicable, those concerning functional elements and methods of operation, fair use, reverse engineering, and interoperability, including 17 U.S.C. §§ 102(b), 107, and 1201(f).

Nothing on this page is intended to waive any right or defense available to Spectre Games LLC or any other party under applicable law.

Player-provided client and Evolve content updates

Evolve Community Server does not distribute, host, sell, or provide the Ashes of Creation game client.

Players must provide their own legitimately acquired installation of Ashes of Creation.

The Evolve Companion application authenticates users with Evolve Community Server services and launches the user's existing game installation using functionality available to the Unreal Engine client.

The Companion also downloads Evolve content patches and uses the player's local game data to build an additional design-data file alongside the existing client data. This update process does not replace the original client files.

Distribution, uploading, requesting, linking to, or sharing copies of the Ashes of Creation client or other copyrighted game files through Evolve Community Server services or community channels is prohibited.

Noncommercial operation

Evolve Community Server does not charge for access, sell subscriptions or virtual items, accept payment for access, or otherwise generate revenue from operation of the service.

Operating and infrastructure costs are currently borne by Spectre Games LLC.

Temporary community service

Evolve Community Server is intended to provide temporary community access while official Ashes of Creation services remain unavailable.

Spectre Games LLC is actively seeking an appropriate authorized path for continued operation and will respect binding lawful determinations concerning ownership and authorized use of Ashes of Creation intellectual property.

Rights-holder contact

Spectre Games LLC welcomes communication from authorized representatives of applicable intellectual-property rights holders regarding the operation of Evolve Community Server.

Rights-holder inquiries may be directed through our support portal.

Ashes of Creation and its associated names, trademarks, artwork, game assets, client software, and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective lawful rights holders.

Evolve Community Server and Evolve Companion are independently implemented and operated by Spectre Games LLC.