Concord will soon be taken offline by its developer, Firewalk Studios, just two weeks after its release. This abrupt move indicates that the initial launch did not meet expectations, prompting a reevaluation of the game’s future. The game will officially shut down on 6 September and whether Sony will resurrect it as a free-to-play game or completely shelve it is unclear.
As of now, digital sales of Concord have halted, and Sony is offering refunds to all who purchased the US$40 (~RM174) title on PlayStation 5, Steam, and the Epic Games Store. For those who bought physical copies, refunds are available at the place of purchase.
Game director Ryan Ellis addressed the situation on the PlayStation Blog, acknowledging that while some aspects of Concord resonated with players, other elements and the initial launch did not achieve the desired impact. And despite the lack of official sales figures from Sony, indications point to Concord being a commercial failure.
The game received lukewarm reviews and struggled to maintain a player base, peaking at fewer than 700 players on Steam. The game only sold around 25,000 copies in its first week, a mediocre number for a high-profile release, raising questions about its viability as a live-service game.
Some of the challenges faced by Concord and its developers are reportedly its gameplay, character engagement, and competition from other free-to-play team shooter games such as Overwatch 2 and Apex Legends. Firewalk Studios, acquired by Sony last year, may consider reworking Concord as a free-to-play title and given Sony’s current track record, this could be considered a minor setback for the Japanese brand.
(Source: Playstation, GameRant, Engadget)
