Concord, the latest shooter game from PlayStation, will no longer be playable at the end of this week. By Sep. 6, you will not be able to access the game. Those who purchased it have gotten refunds as the disastrous launch proved to be too much. Sony has opted to take the game down entirely, marking a shocking fall from grace for the once fool-proof games company.
Image Credits: PlayStation
Concord Getting Shut Down by PlayStation
Following eight years of development, Concord’s initial launch projections were for under 25,000 units sold. On Steam, the game reached a peak player count of 697, which is an impressively low number for a brand-new game. This shooter genre was competitive and has been filled with free-to-play games, but the game was sold at a price of $40 USD after the development team spent so much time trying to make the title.
Ryan Ellis, the game director at Firewalk Studios, said that many qualities of the game resonated with players. He also said that they understand their shortcomings with this one. The game “didn’t launch the way they intended,” according to a statement. Based on that, which may be putting it lightly, they’ve decided to take the game offline this Friday. Ellis added,” While we determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC. If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method.”
Future Options for Concord
The game cost $40 to purchase, though players will be eligible for a refund since the game is being pulled entirely. One key point is worth noting, though. Ellis mentioned that they are looking into options to better suit players. This seems to imply that the game won’t be gone forever, but only temporarily. They may be reconsidering the business strategy, with many expecting a Concord return, if it happens, to be free-to-play.
This is an interesting development. PlayStation, a game company that was once almost untouchable when it came to their exclusives, put a lot of their eggs in this basket. They opted not to pursue other games in favor of finishing the development of Concord despite so many setbacks. Sony even created a special PlayStation 5 controller for the game, which only a few games have ever gotten. All of that was done ultimately for the game to fail spectacularly and be removed two weeks after launch.