Sony’s attempt at a live service hero shooter has just seen its demise. Concord came out on August 23rd, 2024, and was canceled not even two weeks later. The game, developed by Firewalk Studios, will go offline on September 6, 2024, with full refunds being issued to players.
This might be a wake-up call for the publisher and its approach to live service games. We might already be seeing the results of this as Helldivers 2, the other live service game in the company’s roster, is possibly implying a big update that fans have been asking for.
Concord’s rapid fall has been one of the bigger events of the year for gamers. Despite joining a genre that has seen massive player bases, the game peaked at only 697 concurrent players. The decision to pull the plug on the game just two weeks after its August 23 release speaks volumes about its reception.
This abrupt failure of the game may have prompted the company to look at its other current live service game. Helldivers 2 has been one of the underdogs of this year and has seen a lot of success since its release. But in recent months, players have become increasingly frustrated at the decisions of the developers, Arrowhead Studios.
Honestly I wanted to be playing this game so much but the constant nerfs and stuff is just boring it’s really put me off
— ToastedTohsaka (@ToastedTohsaka) September 5, 2024
The studio has been teasing its fanbase for months about the potential reintroduction of the Illuminate, an alien faction beloved from the first game. And now there might be some hints as players found some brief glimpses of a mysterious purple mark on the game’s Galactic War map.
Players captured images of the faction’s iconography briefly appearing in different sectors. Could Sony be trying to save the game from a fate like the hero shooter by giving fans what they want immediately?
Arrowhead has quickly dismissed the sighting as a technical glitch. According to CEO Shams Jorjani, these mysterious icons are merely the result of technical glitches, dismissing the rumors as “fake news.”
Fake news https://t.co/04jYb4Iy6X
— Shams Jorjani (@ShamsJorjani) September 4, 2024
Despite the studio’s denials, the evidence pointing to the arrival of the Illuminate is hard to ignore. Several in-game assets, such as weapons and abilities, seem specifically designed to counter the Illuminate’s biology and technology, suggesting that the faction is, in fact, on its way.
The timing of this potential update could not be more crucial. With its latest release failing to gain traction and the live-service model facing increased scrutiny, Helldivers 2 may well be the company’s best chance at salvaging its multiplayer ambitions in 2024.
Arrowhead Game Studios has been following a 60-day update plan for the game and the cycle is ending soon so maybe this is the studio’s chance to give players what they want. If Sony and Arrowhead play their cards right, Helldivers 2 could become.
Do you think Helldivers 2 can escape the same fate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
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