Sony write off ill-fated $200 million shooter Concord as a loss by closing studio permanently

Concoup de grace

Sony have shut down Firewalk Studios, the developers behind ill-fated multiplayer hero shooter Concord, and confirmed that the game will not be returning to stores. In doing so, they are effectively striking a line through a big, red $200 million in their books - a number that some report is only part of the loss.

"[Certain] aspects of Concord were exceptional," said Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony's Studio Business Group in a press release yesterday, "but others did not land with enough players, and as a result we took the game offline. We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options.

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

In another example of a businessman using "sunset" to poetically obfuscate a painful closure (when you open a studio, you do not "dawn" it), Hulst suggests that the shooter scene is crowded and it was difficult for the game to draw a crowd.

"The PvP first person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving," he said, "and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title."

That's putting it lightly. Concord launched to little fanfare and was taken offline just three weeks afterwards - a painfully quick hobbling by Sony. The game was removed from storefronts and players who paid for the game at launch were offered refunds. Back in 2023, our Katharine (RPS in peace) wrote about all the doomed multiplayer shooters lining up at the PlayStation showcase. She predicted that most would not survive six months. Concord did not even make it one.

"We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area," said Hulst.

"I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing [Sony Interactive Entertainment]."

The game saw an initial investment of $200 million, according to sources who spoke to Kotaku. But that outlet also notes that this figure doesn't cover the entirety of development, or the cost of Sony buying the studio along with the rights to Concord as a piece of intellectual property. Just how much Sony lost on this game, they're unlikely to state plainly.

Alongside the closure of Firewalk, another studio has been given a bullet in the back of head at sunset. Neon Koi, a studio who have been working on an action game for mobile phones, was also closed.

"Both decisions were given serious thought," said Hulst, "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."