Concord Was Short-Lived, But Not The Shortest-Lived

Firewalk Studios' Concord, a 5v5 hero shooter, met an abrupt end just two weeks after its release. The game's servers went offline on September 6th, 2024, a decision announced by Game Director Ryan Ellis due to the game failing to meet expectations. Digital purchases will receive automatic refunds.

A Lack of Buzz Leads to Closure

Ellis acknowledged that some aspects of Concord resonated with players, but ultimately, the launch fell short of goals. This is a surprising turn of events, given Sony's acquisition of Firewalk Studios based on their perceived potential, and plans for Concord to be featured in the Secret Level Prime Video series. An ambitious post-launch roadmap, including a season one launch and weekly cutscenes, was also scrapped. Only three cutscenes were released before the shutdown.

Why Did Concord Fail?

Despite an eight-year development cycle, Concord struggled to attract players, peaking at only 697 concurrent players. Analyst Daniel Ahmad points to a lack of innovation, uninspired character designs, and a high price point ($40) compared to free-to-play competitors like Apex Legends and Valorant. Minimal marketing further hampered its success.

A Potential Comeback?

Ellis stated Firewalk will explore future options. The possibility of a return isn't out of the question, as seen with Gigantic's successful revival after a change in business model. However, simply making Concord free-to-play might not solve its fundamental problems—bland character designs and uninspired gameplay—a complete overhaul might be necessary. Game8's 56/100 review highlighted its visual appeal but criticized its lifeless gameplay. A full review is available.