PlayStation and Firewalk Studios recently made an unexpected announcement regarding their multiplayer game, Concord. The game, which launched on August 23, will be taken offline on September 6, just two weeks after its release. Firewalk Studios stated that they will use this time to “explore options” for the game, while also ceasing all sales and issuing refunds to players.
In a blog post on the PlayStation website, game director Ryan Ellis explained that although some aspects of the game resonated with players, the initial launch did not go as intended. Ellis expressed gratitude towards the players who joined them in the Concord galaxy and assured them that they would be kept updated on the future of the game. While the post did not provide specifics on the options Firewalk Studios will be exploring, they expressed a desire to better reach their players.
Concord was simultaneously released on PC and PlayStation, and according to SteamDB, the game’s highest concurrent player count on PC was 697. However, it was estimated that the game only sold about 25,000 copies in total, with 10,000 on PC and 15,000 on PlayStation, as reported by GameDiscover.co’s Simon Carless on IGN. It is worth noting that Concord was priced at $40 and faced tough competition from another highly successful game, Black Myth: Wukong, which launched around the same time.
For players who purchased the game digitally, refunds will be issued automatically on all platforms. Physical refunds, on the other hand, will need to go through the retailer. It’s important to note that once a refund is received, players will no longer have access to the game.
While the decision to take Concord offline shortly after its release may come as a disappointment to some players, it is encouraging to see Firewalk Studios and PlayStation taking responsibility for the game’s performance and prioritizing the player experience. It remains to be seen what the future holds for Concord, but players can expect further updates from the development team.
