Source: PlayStation / Firewalk Studios / Concord
The writing was on the wall and PlayStation finally did what everyone knew was coming and shut down Firewalk Studios.
Firewalk Studios was on borrowed time after the disastrous launch of his hero shooter, Concord. Time ran out after Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) shut down the studio after only acquiring them a year and a half ago. The PlayStation owner also shut down mobile studio Neon Koi.
“I know none of this is easy to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends who are leaving SIE,” said PlayStation CEO of the studio's business group Hermen Hulst in a memo to staff shared Tuesday. “Both decisions were seriously considered and, ultimately, we believe they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk have been home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find a place for some of those affected in our global studio community where possible.”
When PlayStation made the shocking decision to make Concord offline on September 6, the company did leave a glimmer of hope that the game could return.
Hermen Hulst touches of Concord Failure
In his memo, Hearst discussed of Concord failure to live up to expectations, writing, “Some aspects of Concord they were great, but others didn't attract enough players, and as a result, we took the game offline.”
“We've spent a lot of time these past few months exploring all of our options,” Hurst continued. “After much consideration, we have decided that the best way forward is to permanently shut down the game and close the studio. I want to thank everyone at Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit and dedication. The PvP first-person shooter genre is a competitive and ever-evolving space, and unfortunately, we fell short of our goals with this title. We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live services capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.”
Dime.
The decision to close both studios comes five months after Hulst and Hideaki Nishino took over as CEOs of PlayStation. It's the latest blow to the video game company after Destiny creator Bungie, now owned by Sony, laid off more than 200 employees in August.
The video game community had a lot to say about the tragic news. These reactions can be found in the gallery below.
