Sony Cancels Concord Game After Disastrous Sales Performance

In brief: Sony’s latest online shooter struggled to inspire confidence after its initial unveiling, and player interest never improved during the beta or following its official launch. Now, the company is pulling the plug after just two weeks on the market. Whether Sony will resurrect Concord as a free-to-play game or shelve the project remains unclear.

Concord’s Fate

Concord players should begin seeing refunds for the game starting Tuesday. Sony has delisted its AAA online shooter and will shut down its servers on Friday following disastrously low sales. Users who purchased the game through the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct will receive refunds through their payment providers. Meanwhile, Steam and the Epic Games Store will contact customers once they have processed the refunds.

A Failed Live-Service Game

The game’s struggles began with a lackluster beta period, during which it peaked at only 2,388 players on Steam and reached lows of under 500. The full game fared no better, with analysts estimating that it sold only around 25,000 copies between PC and PS5 after its August 23 release. This makes Concord a significant loss for Sony, which purchased Firewalk Studios in 2018 to help develop and publish the game.

Future of Live-Service Games

Concord’s failure is another example of the volatility of the live-service gaming model. Observers will likely view this as a sign of Sony’s struggles with live-service games, following the cancellation of a planned multiplayer spin-off of The Last of Us and pessimistic rumors surrounding an upcoming live-service revival of Bungie’s Marathon series.

What’s Next for Concord?

Although the future of Concord is uncertain, Sony is reassessing the game’s potential. It is possible that the game may resurface as a free-to-play title. However, for now, the game’s cancellation marks a disappointing end to a project that had promised much but ultimately failed to deliver.

My Thoughts

Sony Cancels Concord Game After Disastrous Sales Performance

Sony’s AAA online shooter, Concord, has been delisted and its servers will be shut down on Friday, just two weeks after its release. The game struggled to garner interest after its unveiling and the beta phase. Now, Sony is pulling the plug due to low sales.

A Game with Unfulfilled Potential

I think it’s unfortunate that Concord failed to meet expectations. The game’s CGI trailer looked expensive and promising, but it seems that the excitement didn’t translate to actual sales. With the rise of live-service games, it’s surprising that Sony didn’t adapt and adjust their strategy to make Concord more attractive to players.

What’s Next for Sony?

Although the game’s future is uncertain, it’s possible that Sony will re-release it as a free-to-play title. This could be a viable option, but it’s clear that the live-service gaming model is still volatile. Observers will be watching closely to see how Sony navigates this challenge and what it means for their future projects.