Sony's Concord: A Cautionary Tale of Launch Failure and Uncertain Futures

The situation surrounding the game Concord has taken a surprising turn following Sony's decision to pull the live service shooter from circulation just two weeks post-launch. The game director's departure has raised concerns among the remaining staff at the studio, especially regarding their future there.

Reports indicate that Ryan Ellis, who has held the position of Concord's game director since January 2018, informed his team of his transition into a supporting role. He was the face behind the announcement on the PlayStation Blog addressing the game's removal. In his statement, Ellis acknowledged that while some elements resonated with gamers, there were other features of the game and its launch that did not live up to expectations.

This development marks Concord as a significant blunder in the history of PlayStation gaming. After an extensive and expensive development process, the PvP first-person shooter debuted on August 23 with a price tag of $40 for PC and PlayStation 5. However, its estimated sales were around just 25,000 units, coupled with an alarmingly low peak player count on Steam (exact numbers for PlayStation remain undisclosed). Merely 11 days after its launch, Sony made the decision to withdraw Concord from the market and initiated a refund process.

As reported, the 150-strong team at Firewalk, acquired by Sony in 2023, finds themselves in a state of uncertainty. While Ellis has hinted that the studio might consider various options possibly leading to a revival of Concord, skepticism remains among the staff. Some team members have been encouraged to brainstorm new game concepts, while others speculate about potentially contributing to another game for Sony, and there are fears of mass layoffs or even a potential studio closure.

Sony's gaming division has already experienced significant layoffs in 2024, with a February announcement detailing cuts affecting around 900 employees, roughly 8% of its global PlayStation staff. A variety of PlayStation studios endured these layoffs, including Insomniac, Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, and Firesprite, with the London studio facing the most severe consequences, leading to its closure. Furthermore, Bungie, another studio under Sony's umbrella, has also faced heavydownsizing as its title Destiny 2 continues to struggle commercially.

Although the game Concord has been discontinued, it is set to feature in Amazon's Secret Level adult animation anthology series later this year. Sony must now navigate challenging inquiries regarding its live service strategy, which encompasses Bungie's Marathon and Haven's Fairgame$. Last year, the company's president announced a commitment to releasing six out of twelve live service titles in development, though one based on The Last of Us has already been scrapped.