Source: PlayStation / Firewalk Studios / Concord
This news shouldn't surprise anyone, but it's also shocking. Concord is offline…for now.
In a surprising move, Sony has announced Firewalk Studios' hero shooter Concord is no longer available for purchase after its disastrous launch on PS5 and PC on August 23rd.
Ryan Ellis, game director at Firewalk Studio, announced the decision in a post on PlayStation Blog. In it, he tells players that “aspects of the game and our initial launch didn't land as well as we would have liked.”
“Concord fans — we've been listening carefully to your feedback since its release Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and I want to thank everyone who has been a part of the journey with Northstar,” Ellis wrote in the post. “Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us.”
“However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial release did not land as well as we would have liked. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline from September 6, 2024 and explore options, including those that will best reach our players.”
The writing was on the wall for Concord due to a shockingly low number of players at launch and a poor reception. Per Polygonless than 700 people were playing the game during its release weekend.
According to SteamDBthe number of concurrent players has only decreased, and as of Tuesday, only 30 people were playing the game.
Concord Gamers are getting a rare refund from PlayStation
The game is no longer available for purchase today and PS5 and PC will receive a full refund.
“If you purchased the PlayStation 5 game from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, you will be refunded to your original payment method,” Ellis said in the post.
Refund Instructions:
Steam Store – The Steam Store will issue refunds to players who purchased the game in the coming days. Steam will send confirmation of the refund once processing is complete.
Epic Games Store – The Epic Games Store will issue refunds to players who purchased the game over the next few days and will contact each customer directly to confirm that the refund has been processed.
Other Retail Refunds – For customers who purchased a physical copy at a retailer location outside of PlayStation Direct, please refer to the refund process of the retailer you purchased it from to receive your refund.
Per IGN, Concord it sold an estimated 25,000 copies.
PlayStation notes that players can no longer access the game after receiving a refund.
As you can imagine, Video Game X is reacting to the news. Reactions range from shock to unsurprised to sympathy for the team at Firewalk Studios.
Dime.
Here's hoping Firewalk Studios can whip the game into shape and turn this colossal mess into a success story.
Until then you can see more reactions in the gallery below.
