In a move that many saw coming, PlayStation has announced that its new game Concord will be taken offline on September 6, 2024, just two weeks after its launch.
This decision comes after poor player engagement and mixed reviews. To put this in perspective, Concord had only 24 active players on Steam, far below the numbers needed for success. (Can you believe that a game developed in this day and age could flop so hard? It’s almost unbelievable!)
Released on August 23, 2024, Concord was in development for eight years. Despite this long development and a $40 price tag, the game struggled to attract players and had fewer than 700 concurrent players on Steam during its opening weekend. These numbers are disappointing, especially for a game in the competitive live-service sector. (Eight years and this is what they have to show for it)
PlayStation further added that sales of Concord will stop immediately and promised full refunds to all buyers on both PlayStation 5 (PS5) and PC.
“While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended.” said Ryan Ellis, Firewalk Studios game director, in a post on the PlayStation Blog. (At least they are doing the right thing by their customers.)
The sudden shutdown of Concord is unusual in the live-service gaming space and raises questions about the future of Firewalk Studios. There are speculations about potential layoffs or changes within the developer team, as ending a game early often signals bigger problems.
For those who bought Concord, PlayStation has provided detailed refund instructions.
- Purchases from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct will get refunds back to the original payment methods.
- Steam and Epic Games Store customers will be contacted directly to confirm their refunds.
- Buyers of physical copies should follow their retailer’s refund process.
The gaming community is clearly disappointed. Player feedback was mixed from the start, with many noting that while the game had a solid base, it failed to meet its potential. Reviews described Concord as making “a terrible first impression” even though it had fun features and impressive visuals.
PlayStation had a detailed plan for Concord to improve the game over time, but this plan is now uncertain as the company decides its next steps. The story of Concord serves as a lesson in the gaming industry, showing the challenges developers and publishers face in a changing market.
As the gaming world waits for more updates, the future of Concord remains unclear. For now, PlayStation is focused on addressing the immediate issues and ensuring that all players who bought the game get their money back.
My Two Cents Regarding this Whole Situation:
The sudden end of Concord feels like a broken promise, a dream cut short. It shows how tough and complicated the gaming industry can be, where even the most dedicated efforts can sometimes fail. My heart goes out to the developers who spent eight years on this project, only to see it end so quickly. This must be an especially emotional and difficult time for them.
