Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has officially closed Firewalk Studios, the developer behind the first-person shooter Concord. This decision follows the game’s unsuccessful launch and subsequent removal from sale.
Background on Concord
Concord was released on August 23, 2024, for PlayStation 5 and Windows PC. Despite an eight-year development period and significant investment, the game struggled to attract players, with peak concurrent users on Steam reaching only 697. Sales estimates suggest fewer than 25,000 copies were sold across all platforms.
Closure of Firewalk Studios
On October 29, 2024, SIE announced the closure of Firewalk Studios. In an internal email, Hermen Hulst, CEO of SIE’s Studio Business Group, stated:
“After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio.”
This closure affects approximately 172 employees. SIE has expressed intentions to assist affected staff in finding new opportunities within the company or the broader industry.
Impact on SIE’s Live-Service Strategy
The failure of Concord and the subsequent closure of Firewalk Studios have prompted SIE to reassess its approach to live-service games. Hulst noted that the competitive nature of the PvP first-person shooter genre contributed to the game’s underperformance. SIE plans to apply lessons learned from this experience to future projects, aiming to enhance its live-service capabilities.
Closure of Neon Koi
In addition to Firewalk Studios, SIE also announced the closure of Neon Koi, a mobile game development studio previously known as Savage Game Studios. Neon Koi was working on an unannounced mobile action game, which will not proceed. This decision affects approximately 38 employees.
These closures reflect SIE’s strategic realignment in response to market challenges and underscore the difficulties of succeeding in the highly competitive gaming industry.
Read the full announcement here : https://sonyinteractive.com/en/news/blog/an-update-from-playstation-studios/
