Sony has officially announced the discontinuation of Concord and the closure of Firewalk Studios, following a troubled launch that saw the game taken offline after just two weeks of service.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), which took over Firewalk in 2023, communicated in an email to its staff that it would be shutting down the studio along with mobile developer Neon Koi. The decision aims to “enhance SIE’s Studio Business,” leading to the closure of two studios acquired by Sony within the last two years.
While CEO Hermen Hulst acknowledged that Concord had several appealing features, he admitted that it failed to meet expectations in the increasingly competitive PvP first-person shooter sector, dominated by titles like Overwatch 2. Hulst emphasized that Sony intends to derive lessons from Concord for future projects, stating, “We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options. After much contemplation, we concluded that the best course of action is to permanently discontinue the game and close the studio. I extend my gratitude to everyone at Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit, and commitment.”
Firewalk Studios provided an overview of its achievements via a statement on its social media account, stating that Concord entered full production in 2022, following several years as a burgeoning startup. The studio characterized the game as a “great FPS experience” despite its narrow release in a market already dominated by established competitors.
“We embraced some risks during development, merging elements of card battlers and fighting games with traditional first-person shooting mechanics,” the studio reflected. “Although some of these elements did not resonate as we anticipated, introducing innovative ideas is essential for the advancement of the medium.”
Firewalk is signing off one last time.
Firewalk began with the idea of bringing the joy of multiplayer to a larger audience. Along the way we assembled an incredible team who were able to:
– Navigate growing a new startup into a team during a global pandemic: Firewalk was…— Firewalk (@FirewalkStudios) October 29, 2024
Concerning Neon Koi (formerly known as Savage Game Studios), which was reportedly developing a “AAA mobile live-service action game” but had not publicly announced any projects, Hulst noted that the studio’s focus should align with the established standards of PlayStation Studios and aim to reach a broader audience. He confirmed that while Neon Koi was engaged in the development of a mobile action title, it would no longer proceed with that project.
Hulst assured that SIE would seek to find new opportunities within the company for affected team members. “I recognize that this news is particularly difficult for those who will be saying goodbye to colleagues and friends. Both decisions were made after careful consideration, and we believe they are necessary steps to strengthen our organization,” he stated.
Concord had a notoriously turbulent launch on PlayStation 5 and PC in August, reaching a peak of only 697 concurrent players on its debut day, as reported by SteamDB. The game’s underwhelming reception and low player count compelled Sony to take it offline just two weeks after its release. Initially, Firewalk Studios’ game director Ryan Ellis planned to investigate potential pathways for the game’s future. However, reports surfaced last month indicating that Ellis had stepped down from his position, with staff members looking into new project proposals thereafter.