‘Concord’ grounded: Sony shuts down team shooter game two weeks after lackluster launch

Sony is shutting down its newly launched “Concord” game on Friday, two weeks and a day after its inauspicious debut in a crowded shooter game field.

Sales will “cease immediately” and full refunds will be issued to those who purchased the team-based sci-fi game on Playstation 5 and PC, said Ryan Ellis, game director at Firewalk Studios, a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

In a statement addressing fans Tuesday on the Playstation blog, Ellis said his team “been listening closely to your feedback since the launch” of the team-based first-person shooter game on Aug. 23. He thanked those who “joined the journey aboard the Northstar,” the spaceship users crew during gameplay.

“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,” Ellis said. “Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players.”

The game, which spent eight years in development, reportedly drew a small audience during its launch, according to third-party PC-based gaming data website SteamDB. As of Wednesday afternoon, the site recorded 62 concurrent players with an all-time peak of 697 players — surprisingly low numbers for a new PlayStation release. The highest number of players in 24 hours was a mere 132, a far cry from popular shooter games such as “Overwatch” and “Counter Strike 2,” whose 24-hour peaks exceeded 50,000 and 1.3 million, respectively.

“While we determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC,” Ellis said.

Those who purchased the live-services game from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct will see a refund via their original payment method. Customers who purchased “Concord” from other digital storefronts, such as Epic or Steam, will be refunded similarly. Once refunded, players will no longer have access to the game, the statement said. Those with physical copies of the game can get refunds through their respective digital storefronts and retailers.

A Sony spokesperson did not immediately respond Wednesday to The Times’ request for further comment.

Times staff writer Todd Martens contributed to this report.