Concord: Sony pulls shooter from sale two weeks after release
Sony Shuts Down New Game Two Weeks Post-release
Sony's newest addition to the multiplayer shooter genre is Concord.
Sony has declared that they will be removing the online shooter, Concord, from sale only 14 days after it was released.
The online game was launched only for PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23rd, but it seems to be having difficulty drawing in players.
On Sony's blog, Ryan Ellis from Firewalk Studios stated that the game will no longer be available starting September 6th.
He stated that all customers who purchased the £40 game would be refunded in full while the team figures out the most appropriate plan for its re-release.
Concord is a game in the hero shooter genre, drawing inspiration from well-known games like Overwatch and Valorant.
Gamers are members of a group consisting of unique characters with special skills, and can participate in direct combat battles or other gameplay modes that revolve around seizing a goal or managing specific areas of the battleground.
Allegedly in the works for eight years, Concord was Sony's newest game aimed at dominating the multiplayer industry.
The game received varied feedback from reviewers, with some complimenting its impressive visuals and solid gameplay, but others pointing out its lack of innovation in the genre.
As reported by SteamDB, a website that monitors player activity on PC games, the peak number of users playing Concord reached 660.
On the other hand, Counter-Strike 2, the game that gets played the most, has maintained over 1 million players since August 2022.
Concord brings together teams of characters with special skills to compete in various matches against each other.
Ryan Ellis mentioned that Firewalk had paid attention to feedback.
"He mentioned that although players enjoyed many parts of the experience, there were also some areas of the game and our first launch that didn't have the impact we were hoping for," he stated.
He expressed gratitude towards the players who have played the game and mentioned that the enthusiastic community that has formed around the game is incredibly meaningful to the team.
The developers are considering taking the game offline to explore different options that could help them better connect with their players.
Games where multiple people can play together, or games that are continuously updated to keep players interested, are very profitable for companies. Sony has been putting money into these types of games.
Earlier this year, Helldivers 2 was launched and became a huge hit, selling over 12 million copies and being available on both PlayStation 5 and PC.
A thorough presentation of Concord during the company's State of Play event in May did not spark the same excitement, and many anticipated that it would have difficulty attracting a comparable audience.
It is very difficult to enter the live-service market. According to US analytics firm Newzoo, which keeps track of the most popular games, older titles like Minecraft, Roblox, and League of Legends consistently rank at the top.
Earlier this year, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League by Warner Bros did not receive as much player interest as the company had expected, even with its major release.
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