Concord's Brief Reign: Not the Fleeting Contender

Concord's launch was underwhelming, resulting in a rapid server shutdown. This article delves into the reasons behind the game's premature closure.

Firewalk Studios' Hero Shooter, Concord, Grounds to a Halt Two Weeks Post-Launch

Lack of Hype Leads to Early Retirement

Firewalk Studios' 5v5 hero shooter, Concord, is ceasing operations just two weeks after its release. Game Director Ryan Ellis announced the closure on September 3rd, 2024, via the PlayStation Blog, citing unmet expectations. The game, while possessing certain appealing qualities, failed to resonate with players as intended. Servers went offline on September 6th, 2024. Digital purchases on Steam, Epic Games Store, and the PlayStation Store will receive automatic refunds; physical copies require retailer returns.

Firewalk Studios and Sony clearly envisioned a larger future for Concord. Sony's acquisition of Firewalk, based on their perceived potential, seemed promising, especially with positive comments from Ellis and Firewalk's studio head, Tony Hsu. Concord was even slated for inclusion in the Prime Video anthology series, Secret Level. An ambitious post-launch roadmap, including a Season 1 launch in October and weekly cutscenes, was initially planned. However, poor performance necessitated a drastic revision of these plans. Only three cutscenes were released (two from the beta and one pre-announcement), leaving the future of the planned storyline uncertain.

Concord's Demise: A Multifaceted Failure

Concord's decline was evident from the outset. Despite an eight-year development cycle, player interest remained minimal. Concurrent player counts barely reached a thousand, peaking at 697 and dwindling to 45 at the time of this writing (excluding PlayStation 5 users). This starkly contrasts with the beta's peak of 2,388 players, falling far short of expectations for a Sony-published AAA title.

Several factors contributed to Concord's failure. Analyst Daniel Ahmad highlighted strong gameplay mechanics and complete content, but also a lack of differentiation from existing hero shooters, providing little incentive for players to switch. He criticized the uninspired character designs and noted the game felt outdated, stuck in the Overwatch 1 era. The $40 price point further disadvantaged Concord against popular free-to-play competitors like Marvel Rivals, Apex Legends, and Valorant. Minimal marketing exacerbated these issues.

Ellis' statement suggests Firewalk Studios will explore alternative approaches to better reach players. A future revival remains possible. The successful relaunch of Gigantic, transitioning from a live-service to a buy-to-play model after a six-year hiatus, demonstrates the potential for a comeback.

While a free-to-play model (similar to Foamstars) has been suggested, it wouldn't address the core issues of bland character designs and sluggish gameplay. A complete overhaul, akin to the successful Final Fantasy XIV redesign, is arguably necessary for a successful relaunch.

Game8's review (56/100) described Concord as "tragic," a visually appealing yet lifeless game resulting from eight years of development. For a more detailed analysis, read our full review (link to review).