Concord Shutdown: Another Failed Hero Shooter in a Crowded Market
Concord is Shutting Down; Firewalk Studios' Concord, once a highly anticipated AAA first-person shooter, has become one of gaming's biggest flops. Learn how the game's lack of innovation, steep price point, and competition led to its shutdown.
After eight years of development and months of anticipation, Firewalk Studios' Concord is shutting down this September. Once marketed as a major contender in the hero shooter genre, Concord has now become a significant flop in gaming history, failing to gain traction before it even had a chance to fully launch.
Despite heavy promotion across social media and PlayStation’s platforms, Concord struggled to stand out in a genre already dominated by games like Overwatch, VALORANT, Apex Legends, and others. Concord was ultimately overshadowed by more established titles, failing to capture player interest during its debut weekend. According to SteamDB, the game peaked at fewer than 700 players and soon after dwindled to only around 100. The game’s launch was further hampered by its $40 USD price tag—a steep ask in a market where many of its competitors have gone free-to-play.
Player feedback was also damning, with many describing Concord as an uninspired "Overwatch clone" that lacked innovation and featured poorly designed characters. Despite its lengthy development cycle, Concord failed to offer anything new in an already oversaturated genre.
Concord is going offline beginning September 6th https://t.co/e7tiBmUGCY
— Wario64 (@Wario64) September 3, 2024
"However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended. Therefore, at this time,… pic.twitter.com/IVbqJ67479
In response to the disappointing launch, Concord's game director, Ryan Ellis, acknowledged that the game didn’t meet their expectations. Firewalk Studios has since ceased sales of the game as of September 3 and will be issuing refunds to all players. Concord servers will be permanently shut down on September 6.
For those who purchased the game digitally via the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, refunds will be automatically processed to the original payment method. If the game was bought through Steam or Epic Games, players should expect confirmation of their refund shortly. Physical copies will require players to follow the return policy of the specific retailer where they made the purchase.
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Ultimately, Concord's downfall can be attributed to its lack of innovation, steep price point, and failure to differentiate itself in an already crowded genre—sealing its fate as one of gaming’s most notable flops.