PlayStation’s latest big game, the multiplayer arena shooter Concord, launched in late August and struggled so much out of the gate that Sony decided to stop sales and take the game offline beginning September 6. Lead character designer Jon Weisnewski has now thanked fans for their support ahead of the server shutdown, while acknowledging that the studio doesn’t know what the future holds.
Posting on social media, Weisnewski said the team at Firewalk Studios is “packed with tenacious fighters” who built Concord amid a number of challenging scenarios. This included multiple acquisitions–the latest of which was Sony’s buyout of the company in 2023–along with an engine upgrade from Unreal Engine 4 to Unreal Engine 5. Weisnewski also mentioned how Concord was developed during the pandemic and faced delays, noting that “the fact we shipped at all is legendary.”
“To all the players who showed up for Concord: thank you. The positivity and constructive feedback in the face of overwhelming noise was huge for everyone at Firewalk. Building a positive community was why we did this. We saw you. Every stream, post, thread, emoji, we saw it all,” the developer added.
As for the future, Weisnewski admitted, “None of us know what’s next, but I do know this team is capable of wild energy when faced with a challenge.”
When Sony announced the news that Concord would shut down, game director Ryan Ellis said, “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.”
Ellis said the team will “explore options” for how to “better reach our players,” which sounds like the game could return in some form down the road. This is not confirmed, however. For now, Sony is refunding everyone. Even if Concord does make a comeback, many are wondering what Concord could do to differentiate itself in an already-crowded market for arena shooters. Some believe Concord is doomed and won’t find success, even under a different model.
Concord is the first game from Firewalk, a studio founded by developers who worked on Call of Duty, Destiny, Apex Legends, and Halo. The team had about 150 employees when Sony acquired the studio from ProbablyMonsters in 2023; the companies had worked together for “years” previously.
In 2023, Sony said Firewalk would contribute to the company’s efforts to “define a new generation of live-service experiences for PlayStation gamers.” Sony is also working with Assassin’s Creed veteran Jade Raymond’s team at Haven on a heist-themed multiplayer game called Fairgame$ (yes, really, that’s the name). However, Sony is indeed scaling back its live-service efforts.
Sony was at one point planning to release 10 live-service games by 2026 but later cut the figure in half as the company outlined a plan to focus on quality over quantity. Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Online, once described as the developer’s most ambitious game ever, was canceled.
According to a report, one of the last major decisions that former PlayStation boss Jim Ryan made was a mandate for PlayStation’s teams to make more games-as-a-service titles. A number of PlayStation developers were said to be upset by this, and the blame apparently fell on industry veteran Connie Booth. A 30-year veteran, Booth left PlayStation in October 2023, and no reason for her departure was ever provided. Some believe she was fired. Booth is now an executive at Electronic Arts.
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