In the competitive landscape of first-person shooters (FPS), with heavyweights like Call of Duty and Battlefield dominating the scene, efforts continue to break the monopoly held by these franchises. One of the latest attempts was Concord, a shooter developed by Firewalk Studios, which has now been permanently shut down by Sony.
Sony’s decision comes amid a reassessment of its game portfolio and the studio’s ability to meet player expectations. Despite some standout elements in Concord, it ultimately fell short, with reports indicating it sold fewer than 25,000 copies shortly after its release. Following its removal from sale and a brief period of uncertainty, the game was deemed unsalvageable, leading to the closure of Firewalk, which employed around 150-170 people.
In addition to Firewalk, Sony also announced the closure of Neon Koi, its mobile-focused studio. Hermen Hulst, head of Sony Interactive Entertainment, emphasized the need to focus on titles aligned with PlayStation’s standards while acknowledging the challenges of the current economic climate. He expressed gratitude for the hard work of both teams and stated that the company aims to learn from the experiences of Concord to improve future projects. Despite these setbacks, Hulst remains optimistic about the future direction of PlayStation’s studio business, highlighting a commitment to innovation and engaging player experiences.
