And that’s the ballgame – in the wake of the historically disastrous failure that was Concord, Sony has officially and totally shuttered developer Firewalk Studios.
In crushing the hopes of the four people who were truly hoping that the live-service hero shooter’s recent Steam activity was a hint that it was on track to find a second life as a F2P title, the closing of Firewalk Studios was announced by Sony Interactive Studio Business Group CEO Herman Hulst on the morning of October 29th.
Breaking the news via a post published to the official PlayStation blog, Hulst informed players, “As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen SIE’s Studio Business, we have had to make a difficult decision relating to two of our studios – Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios.”
“Expanding beyond PlayStation devices and crafting engaging online experiences alongside our single-player games are key focal areas for us as we evolve our revenue streams. We need to be strategic, though, in bringing our games to new platforms and recognize when our games fall short of meeting player expectations.
On the subject of Neon Koi, a mobile game studio acquired by Sony in 2022 for work on an undisclosed action game and who ultimately closed its door without a single release credit, Hulst explained, “While mobile remains a priority growth area for the Studio Business, we are in the very early stage of our mobile efforts. To achieve success in this area we need to concentrate on titles that are in-line with PlayStation Studios’ pedigree and have the potential to reach more players globally. With this re-focused approach, Neon Koi will close, and its mobile action game will not be moving forward.”
“I want to express my gratitude to everyone at Neon Koi for their hard work and endless passion to innovate,” he added.
Turning to Firewalk Studios, the Business Group CEO recalled how “certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not land with enough players, and as a result we took the game offline.”
“We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” he then noted, before admitting, “After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio.”
“The PvP first person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving, and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title,” said Hulst. “We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.”
The Sony exec then asserted, “I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing SIE. Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.”
Closing out his thoughts, Hulst ultimately opined, “I am a big believer in the benefits of embracing creative experimentation and developing new IP. However, growing through sustainable financials, especially in a challenged economic environment is critical.”
“While today is a difficult day, there is much to look forward to in the months ahead from the Studio Business Group and our teams,” he concluded. “I remain confident that we are building a resilient and capable organization driven by creating unforgettable entertainment experiences for our players.”
And that’s that.
Eight years and $400 million later, the tombstone has finally been placed on Concord‘s grave.
All in all, what’s left to say except: ‘Better luck next time, Sony.’