Concord was a resounding failure. The PlayStation-exclusive shooter shuts down its servers 11 days after release, with a refund on PS5 and PC…

In just 11 days, we saw the birth and death of a game. Concord, PlayStation and Firewalk Studios’ new GaaS (Game as a Service) venture launched on August 23rd on PS5 and PC but is already announcing a server shutdown. Specifically, the title will go offline on September 6th, offering refunds to all players who purchased it through the PS Store, Steam, Epic Games Store, or other retailers.

The news was shared via the official PlayStation Blog in a post written by game director Ryan Ellis: “Concord fans — we’ve been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar. Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us.”

“However, 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,” the statement continues. “Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.”

Along with the decision to shut down Concord’s servers, Firewalk Studios will also stop selling the game as a service. It also offers a refund to all users: “While we determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC.”

If you would like to receive a refund for PlayStation GaaS, please note that the official notice issued by PlayStation officials (see the end of this article) has instructions to follow depending on the retailer where you purchased the product.

It is estimated that only 25,000 units of the Concord were sold

If Ellis’ words in PlayStation’s announcement are anything to go by, this isn’t Concord’s final goodbye. The team is still looking for ways to appeal to genre fans. More news may be announced in the coming weeks. In fact, the news is already spreading on social media, with some speculating about the return of free-to-play. After all, many criticized that Sony’s hero-shooter wants to compete with the likes of Apex Legends or Valorant, forcing players to pay 40 euros.

Few expected the PlayStation game to be so short-lived, but it’s no surprise that Firewalk Studios wants to refocus on winning over fans of the genre.

After receiving overwhelming feedback from the community, the studio was met with an equally poor commercial performance. Although Sony will offer refunds in the coming days, industry analysts estimate that only around 25,000 units of the Firewalk Studios title have been sold since its release on PS5 and PC.

We don’t know what Concord’s fate will be. Server downtime indicates that no one is satisfied with the hero-shooter’s results. With PlayStation being a major investment, management will likely learn from this failed initiative. But will Sony use this setback as a turning point to move away from games-as-a-service a bit, especially after the cancellation of The Last of Us: Part 2’s multiplayer, or will it continue with that model? Only time will tell.

Source: PlayStation Blog, Variety