Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced it is shutting down Concord studio Firewalk Studios, following the game’s disappointing launch.
In an internal email then published on the PlayStation website, Sony Interactive Entertainment CEO Herman Hulst said that closing down the Concord studio was the option they’d settle on after deciding to take the game down.
“After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio. I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit and dedication”, the email reads.
Not Just The Concord Studio
They aren’t the only studio being affected- PlayStation’s Neon Koi studio, who was developing an unannounced mobile title is also getting shuttered as PlayStation redevelops their strategy.
Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier says that spokespeople from PlayStation have said that a total of 210 employees are being laid off with over 172 employees at Firewalk Studios and 38 at Neon Koi.
Concord remains in contention for one of the biggest financial blunders of 2024- the game was in development for 8 years, announced months before launch and failed to gather an audience as it entered a market dominated by free-to-play titles with a premium price tag.
Two weeks after the game’s launch its servers were taken offline, with PlayStation offering refunds on digital copies of the game.