Concord Goes Offline After Disappointing Launch: Developer Issue Refund

Firewalk Studios, the developer behind the PlayStation title Concord, has announced that the game will go offline starting September 6, 2024.

This decision follows the game’s poor performance since its release, with the developer acknowledging that it didn’t meet player expectations.

In a PlayStation blog, Ryan Ellis, Game Director at Firewalk Studios, expressed gratitude to the players who supported Concord but admitted that the game’s launch had significant shortcomings. Ellis stated,

“While many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline… and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.”

Concord struggled to gain traction right from the start. Its free demo was played by just over 2000 players and when the full game was released it couldn’t even touch the 700 concurrent players on Steam.

Recent reports from Simon Carless (via IGN) revealed that the game sold around 10,000 copies on Steam, and just 15,000 on PlayStation.

Circana analyst Mat Piscatella also highlighted the game’s lackluster performance, revealing that Concord ranked 147th in daily active players on the PS5 in the U.S., with less than 0.2% of Monday’s active PS5 players engaging with the game.

How Can Players Get Refunds for Concord?

As part of the decision to go offline, Firewalk Studios has now ceased all sales of Concord and is offering full refunds to players who purchased the game on PS5 or PC.

• PlayStation 5 (PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct): Refunds will be automatically issued to your original payment method.
• Steam: Steam will process refunds over the coming days and send confirmation once completed.
• Epic Games Store: Epic will refund players and contact each customer directly to confirm the refund.
• Physical copies: Contact the retailer where you purchased the game for their specific refund process.

Is This Really the End for Concord?

While the immediate future looks bleak for Concord, the statement from Ellis about “explore options, including those that will better reach our players” offers a glimmer of hope. Despite the financial struggles, it has received some positive reviews, with critics mainly blaming poor character design and the hefty $40 price tag for its poor reception. So there is a possibility that the game might come back in the future with a new look, new characters, or a popular free-to-play model, as seen in many games of its genre.

Will PlayStation revive Concord, or move on to an entirely new project? Only time will tell. For now, players and industry observers alike will be watching closely to see what lessons can be learned from Concord’s brief time in the spotlight.

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