Sony has announced that it will take the game “Concord” offline starting September 6, 2024, following disappointing sales figures and player reception. The first-person hero shooter, which launched exclusively on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23rd, struggled to gain traction, with estimates putting sales below 25,000 and a peak player count of only 697 on Steam—a figure notably lower than the launch peak of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum.
Ryan Ellis, the game director, shared the news on the PlayStation Blog, acknowledging that while the game resonated with some players, it did not meet expectations. Ellis stated, “We have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.”
In response to the lackluster performance, Sony has ceased sales of “Concord” and will begin issuing full refunds to all players who purchased the game for PS5 or PC. Refunds will be processed as follows:
- PlayStation Store: Refunds will be issued to the original payment method. If the original payment source is unavailable, the purchase amount will be refunded to the PSN wallet. This process may take 30-60 days to appear on bank statements.
- Steam Store: Players will receive a refund in the coming days. Steam will send confirmation once the refund has been processed.
- Epic Games Store: Refunds will be handled similarly, with Epic Games contacting each customer directly to confirm the refund.
For those who purchased physical copies from other retailers, the refund process will depend on the specific retailer’s policies.
Ellis hinted that Firewalk Studios, the developer behind “Concord”, is considering a shift to a free-to-play model in the future. “We’ll keep you updated and thank you again to all the Freegunners who have joined us in the Concord galaxy,” Ellis concluded.
This decision marks a significant turn for a game that had been in development for eight years and faced stiff competition from free-to-play titles like Overwatch and Valorant.