Ryan Ellis informed the team last week that he would no longer be leading the game. The game director of Concord, is reportedly stepping down as the game’s future remains unresolved.

According to Kotaku, Ellis told staff at Firewalk Studios last week that he would step back from his role as game director and take on a support role instead, citing three sources familiar with the situation.

Reports say Ellis was emotional when speaking to the team after the game’s release, as it became evident that the project was headed for significant failure.

“Ryan had a deep belief in the project and the joy it could bring to players,” one former developer told Kotaku. “Regardless of what might have been done differently during development, he is a good person with a big heart.”

Earlier this month, Sony announced plans to take Concord offline, remove it from sale, and issue refunds to all players, just two weeks after its launch.

Reports indicate that the game, released for PS5 and PC, may have sold as few as 25,000 copies since its August 23 debut.

“Concord fans – we’ve listened to your feedback since the game launched on PlayStation 5 and PC, and we want to thank everyone who joined us on the journey aboard the Northstar,” Ellis said at the time.

“Your support and the passionate community that grew around the game meant the world to us. However, while some aspects resonated with players, other parts of the game and its launch didn’t land as we had hoped.”

“Therefore, we’ve decided to take the game offline on September 6, 2024, and explore alternatives, including ones that may better engage our players. As we work to determine the best path forward, sales of Concord will cease immediately, and we’ll begin offering full refunds to players who purchased the game for PS5 or PC.”

The future of Concord remains unclear, and it’s uncertain whether Firewalk will continue leading its development.

Despite the game’s failure, Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming animated anthology Secret Level will reportedly keep its episode based on Concord.