Sony permanently shuts down Concord and developer Firewalk Studios

Sony has made the decision to permanently shut down Concord and Firewalk Studios, as well as close mobile developer Neon Koi. This comes after the aborted launch of Concord in early September and a reevaluation of their approach to mobile gaming, leading to the cancellation of Neon Koi’s “mobile action game.”

In a departure from the norm, CEO of Studio Business Group, Hermen Hulst, shared an internal email about these business decisions, acknowledging that they would have likely leaked anyway. Hulst expressed his gratitude to Firewalk for their dedication and craftsmanship while explaining the reasoning behind the closure of Concord.

“After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset [Concord] and close the studio. I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit, and dedication.

“The PvP first-person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving, and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title. We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.

“I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing SIE. Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.”

Firewalk also bid farewell on Twitter, sharing insights into the studio’s journey and game development process. Despite facing challenges, they emphasized the importance of innovation and pushing the boundaries of the gaming industry.

Concord’s failure will be remembered as one of the biggest entertainment flops, with significant financial losses incurred. Despite initial aspirations, the game struggled to gain traction and failed to meet expectations. Sony took the decision to pull the game from sale, suspend online services, and issue refunds to players.

Overall, the industry has seen its fair share of setbacks in recent years, but hopefully, those affected by these closures will find new opportunities soon.

Source: Sony