Sony Interactive Entertainment has made the decision to shut down Firewalk Studios, the developer behind the flopped live service shooter Concord. This move comes just under two months after the game was taken offline and delisted.
In a statement, SIE acknowledged that Concord drastically underperformed in the competitive PvP first-person shooter genre. Despite exploring other options, the company ultimately decided that the best course of action was to permanently sunset the game and close the studio. This decision was not made lightly, and SIE expressed gratitude for the craftsmanship, creativity, and dedication of the Firewalk team.
In addition to shutting down Firewalk Studios, SIE also announced the closure of mobile game studio Neon Koi. The company assured that it would work to find placement for some of the individuals impacted by these closures within its own global community of studios.
While there was speculation that Concord may return as a free-to-play game after files were updated on Steam, this is no longer the case. SIE is now focusing on learning from the lessons of Concord and strengthening their live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.
It is always difficult to hear news of studio closures and layoffs, but SIE is confident that these decisions are necessary to strengthen the organization. The company remains committed to fostering talent and finding opportunities for those affected by the closures.
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