PlayStation has officially pulled the plug onConcord, the publisher’s latest attempt to crack the games-as-a-service model. After a dismal launch that saw less than 700 players on Steam jumping into the game on its day of release, the writing has been on the wall for a couple of weeks as many speculated that developer Firewalk Studios would be forced to pivot to a free-to-play strategy. Unfortunately, that idea didn’t go too far as the much-maligned hero-shooter was seemingly doomed to fail right from the start.
Per an official announcement on thePlayStation blogpenned by Game Director Ryan Ellis,Concordis being taken offline on September 6, just over two weeks after its launch on August 23. Ellis notes that whilethe game did manage to establish a small audience, the “initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended.“Concordwill be removed from all online marketplaces and refunds will automatically be provided to everyone who purchased the game regardless of their platform; those who purchased a physical copy will need to organize a refund through the retailer from which it was bought.
What Happened To Concord?
Another One Bites The Dust
It’s worth noting that whileConcordwill be taken offline, it sounds as though Firewalk Studios may be open to returning to the game.Ellis writes that the team will “explore options, including those that will better reach” players, soConcordmay return from the dead at some point. How Firewalk intends to breathe life back into the beleaguered game remains to be seen, especially when the deck was so heavily stacked against it.
Most critics agreed thatConcordwas actually a relatively fun experiencebolstered by slick gameplay and impressive visuals, but the promotional campaign and presentation instantly alienated players.Releasing a hero-shooter in 2024 is incredibly risky thanks to the market being somewhat dominated by heavy-hitters likeOverwatch 2andValorant.Charging $40 for a multiplayer-only experiencein a genre that’s foundhuge success with the free-to-play modelalso dissuaded many players from joining the game at launch.
I Hope PlayStation Finally Learned Its Lesson From Latest PS5 Exclusive Flop
PlayStation has made its fair share of mistakes in the past console generation, and it’s past time for Sony to course-correct and build the future.
These marketing errors, combined with the fact that theConcordwas widely criticized for its over-designed characters and poor emulations of theGuardian of the Galaxy-style formula, resulted in a disappointing release. Given the amount of effort and time that went into the game’s development, one has to hope that Firewalk Studios can repurpose it into something better. If not, thenConcordmay go down in history as one of the industry’s biggest flops.
