Sony's 'Concord' Flop Still Receives Steam Updates

Despite its swift demise, Concord, Sony's ill-fated hero shooter, continues to receive updates on Steam. This unexpected development has sparked considerable speculation among gamers. Let's delve into the ongoing updates and the theories surrounding them.

Concord's SteamDB Updates Fuel Speculation

Free-to-Play Resurgence? Gameplay Overhaul? The Possibilities Abound

Remember Concord? The hero shooter that fizzled out almost immediately? While officially offline since September 6th, its Steam page shows a surprising number of updates.

SteamDB logs indicate over 20 updates since September 29th, attributed to accounts like "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping." These account names suggest a focus on backend fixes and improvements, with "QAE" likely referring to "Quality Assurance Engineer."

Concord's August launch was ambitious, demanding $40 in a market dominated by free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. The result? A catastrophic failure. Pulled from stores within two weeks, refunds were issued, and the game was widely deemed a flop, garnering overwhelmingly negative reviews.

So, why the continued updates? Ryan Ellis, then-Game Director at Firewalk Studios, hinted at exploring alternative strategies, including broader player reach, in the game's shutdown announcement. This has led to widespread speculation that Concord might be poised for a comeback, possibly as a free-to-play title. This would address a major criticism: its high price point.

Sony's substantial investment—reportedly up to $400 million—makes an attempt to salvage the project understandable. The ongoing updates suggest Firewalk Studios might be overhauling the game, adding features and addressing criticisms of weak characters and uninspired gameplay.

However, this remains pure conjecture. Sony has remained silent on Concord's future. Will it return with improved mechanics, wider appeal, or a new monetization model? Only Firewalk Studios and Sony know for sure. Even as a free-to-play title, it would face stiff competition in a saturated market.

For now, Concord remains unavailable, and Sony offers no official word. Whether it rises from the ashes remains to be seen.