In a major announcement from Sony, Hermen Hulst confirmed that the game Concord for PS5 and PC will not be returning and that the studio Firewalk Studios has been closed. According to information from Jason Schreier at Bloomberg, around 172 employees will be left without jobs, although Sony emphasizes that it will try to find new positions within its global network of studios for some of those affected.
In a statement, Hulst said: “Certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but the game did not attract enough players, which resulted in its withdrawal from the network. We spent a lot of time exploring all options, but after much consideration, we decided to permanently shut down the game and close the studio. I want to thank the entire Firewalk team for their dedication, creativity, and hard work.”
Concord officially launched on August 23 at a price of $39.99 / £34.99 for PS5 and PC. However, sales were estimated at only 25 thousand copies, and the game was pulled as early as September 6.
This was a major project for Sony, with high expectations. Internally, the game was described as "the future of PlayStation." Sony acquired Firewalk Studios in 2023 and highlighted that the team would "help develop" live-service operations. The studio now no longer exists.
Hulst concluded with a statement: “Although this is a tough day, I believe exciting things await us in the coming months in the Studio Business Group and our teams. I am confident that we are building a resilient and capable organization focused on creating unforgettable entertainment experiences for our players.” - writes PushSquare.com
