The dismal failure of establishing a live service game under Sony’s care with Concord will certainly go down in history, but what will happen to the development studio now?
The end of Concord is surely one of the most tragic stories of 2024. The game was canceled just two weeks after its release, an incredibly short period of time for a live service game, especially after years of development. But who is surprised: According to analysts, only around 25,000 copies of the game were sold. And that is probably one of the problems, namely that it was not released as a free-to-play title.
Game director Ryan Ellis has already drawn the consequences and announced his resignation; he only wants to work in a supporting role in the future. What remains to be seen is what will happen to developer Firewalk Studios, who can be blamed least for the conceptual failure of Concord. Owner Sony has apparently not yet commented on the matter and the more than 150 employees are very worried.
Judging by the comments made when Concord was shut down, it initially sounded as if a longer overhaul of the game was definitely an option. However, some of the developers have already confirmed that they have been approached about ideas for new projects, which doesn’t sound like the Concord topic will be taken up again.
Further speculation suggests that Firewalk will initially provide support for other projects. Another option, however, is the closure of the studio and mass layoffs. Apparently, some employees have already left the studio as a precautionary measure to look for a new job. That would be the worst possible scenario for the studio, which was only founded in 2018 and taken over by Sony in 2023.
Well, it remains to be seen what Sony will ultimately decide and we really hope that there won’t be another studio closure and mass layoff – we’ve certainly had enough of that this year.
The hero shooter Concord is now available for PC and PlayStation 5.
