Sony Shuts Down Firewalk Studios, Officially Cancels Troubled Shooter ‘Concord’

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the closure of Firewalk Studios, the developer behind the recently launched and troubled shooter game ‘Concord‘. This decision was revealed in an internal message from Sony CEO Hermen Hulst to staff members, confirming that the game has been permanently discontinued and will not be revived.

The game ‘Concord’, a PvP first-person shooter, was initially released in late August for PlayStation 5 and PC but was taken offline just two weeks later due to its poor performance. Despite efforts to reassess and potentially reposition the game, Sony concluded that it was best to retire ‘Concord’ and close the studio. Hulst acknowledged the competitive nature of the PvP first-person shooter genre and admitted that the game did not meet its objectives.

Firewalk Studios, established in 2018 as part of ProbablyMonsters, was acquired by Sony in April 2023. The studio was founded by Harold Ryan, a former CEO and president of Bungie, known for developing the ‘Destiny‘ series. The closure of Firewalk Studios also includes the shutdown of another Sony-owned studio, Neon Koi, which was based in Helsinki and working on a mobile action game for PlayStation.

The decision to shut down ‘Concord’ was influenced by its notably low player count and sales. Reports indicated that the game sold only a few thousand copies during its opening week, a figure significantly lower than expected for a first-party title from Sony. This led to negative publicity and dwindling player numbers, ultimately resulting in the game’s removal from sale and the studio’s closure.