After eight years of development, the life of Concord was surprisingly brief, lasting less than a month. Sony announced the game’s closure, which had launched on August 23, will take place on September 6. Ryan Ellis, the game director at Firewalk Studios, admitted that the game “didn’t land the way we’d intended.” This signals a rapid downfall, as full refunds are being issued, and the future of Concord remains uncertain. The shuttering of Concord highlights the pitfalls of publishers pursuing the live-service model with excessive expectations. The game struggled to carve out a niche amid fierce competition and is yet another example of a title failing to resonate with players.
The appeal of live-service games stems from the enduring success and profitability of titles like Fortnite and League of Legends. However, replicating that success is incredibly challenging. Concord joins the ranks of other high-profile failures, such as EA’s Anthem and Xbox’s Redfall, where established single-player studios shifted towards multiplayer formats with disappointing outcomes. Although they lasted longer than Concord, their updates still fell short.
Concord faced specific challenges that hindered its success. As a hero shooter, it entered a saturated market dominated by competitors like Overwatch and Apex Legends, which made it difficult to attract players. Additionally, it was exclusive to the PS5 and PC and was a fully paid release in a market where free-to-play models dominate. Most critically, Concord struggled to differentiate itself, offering generic characters and frustrating map design. In the competitive live-service arena, where games are designed to captivate players’ time and wallets, merely being average is insufficient. Competing against giants like Fortnite requires a unique appeal.
The swift demise of Concord emphasizes that no live-service game is impervious to failure. Upcoming high-profile releases, including Bungie’s Marathon, NetEase’s Marvel Rivals, and Valve’s Deadlock, are also at risk. While these titles may not shut down as rapidly as Concord, the possibility of failing to maintain player interest remains very real.