The $40 Crash Landing: Why Concord Failed in Just Two Weeks
Updated On: September 5, 2024
Sony recently announced that they will take the newly released multiplayer shooter Concord offline just two weeks after its launch—an unprecedented move for a game of this scale. Developed by Firewalk Studios and released on August 23, 2024, Concord struggled from the start, failing to gain traction among players. Despite high expectations, the game reached a peak concurrent player count on Steam of fewer than 700, performing worse than the worst-rated title of 2023. This resulted in queue times becoming so long that players were eventually kicked out of matchmaking.
Concord, a PvP (player vs. player) shooter set in a sci-fi universe, was poised to be a key addition to Sony's live-service game portfolio. However, its launch was marred by dull gameplay and stiff competition from established free-to-play titles like Valorant and Overwatch 2. This has raised the question: Why would players invest $40 in a new game like Concord when free alternatives packed with content exist?
Many attribute this flop to the declining popularity of the hero shooter genre. However, upon closer examination, it’s clear that other games in the genre have struggled for different reasons. For example, Overwatch's drop in popularity was due to a lack of fresh content, despite a dedicated fan base still attached to the characters and lore.
Concord's downfall can be traced to its uninspiring maps and lackluster heroes, known in-game as FreeGunners. Many players were further disappointed by the cosmetic rewards, which failed to capture the alien world’s imaginative potential. Cosmetics in live-service games often drive player engagement, giving users goals to strive toward. However, the drab and mundane designs in Concord—resembling something you'd find at a mall—offered little incentive for players to invest time in the game.
The game is getting pulled from the market on September 6, 2024. Sales of the game were halted, and a full refund process was initiated for all players who had purchased Concord. Those who bought the game through the PlayStation Store, PlayStation Direct, Steam, or the Epic Games Store will automatically receive refunds, while players who purchased physical copies are instructed to follow the return policies of the retailer where they bought the game. While Sony has not ruled out the possibility of reworking Concord—potentially re-launching it as a free-to-play title—the game currently stands as a major setback in the company’s efforts to expand their multiplayer offerings.