Sony
has
announced
that
it’s
shutting
down
Firewalk
Studio,
the
developer
of
the
ill-fated

Concord,
slightly
over
a
year
and
a
half
after
purchasing
the
team
for
an
undisclosed
amount.

Firewalk
wasn’t
the
only
studio
to
be
shuttered
though,
as
Sony
also
confirmed
that
the
closure
of
Neon
Koi.
Previously
known
as
Savage
Studio,
Neon
Koi
was
bought
in
2022
and
has
not
released
a
single
game
in
that
time.

“We
consistently
evaluate
our
games
portfolio
and
status
of
our
projects
to
ensure
we
are
meeting
near
and
long-term
business
priorities.”

read
the
official
statement
from
Hermen
Hulst.
“As
part
of
our
ongoing
efforts
to
strengthen
SIE’s
Studio
Business,
we
have
had
to
make
a
difficult
decision
relating
to
two
of
our
studios
–
Neon
Koi
and
Firewalk
Studios.”

Addressing
Neon
Koi
specifically,
Sony’s
statement
had
this
to
say:
“While
mobile
remains
a
priority
growth
area
for
the
Studio
Business,
we
are
in
the
very
early
stage
of
our
mobile
efforts. 
To
achieve
success
in
this
area
we
need
to
concentrate
on
titles
that
are
in-line
with
PlayStation
Studios’
pedigree
and
have
the
potential
to
reach
more
players
globally. “

As
for
Firewalk
Studio,
it’s
closure
perhaps
isn’t
a
surprise
given
the
monumental
failure
of
Concord.
The
hero-shooter
was
reported
to
have
been
in
development
for
8
years
and

apparently
cost
some
$400
million
to
make
across
Sony
and
Firewalk’s
previous
own
ProbablyMonsters.

Kotaku
is
now
reporting
that
the
figure
is
closer
to
$200
million,
although
that
number
is
likely
far
higher
as
it
doesn’t
include
a
few
factors.

At
launch
Concord
struggled
to
draw
any
players,

failing
to
reach
even
1000
players
on
Steam.
Those
numbers
dropped
rapidly.
And
then

IGN
reported
that
the
game
had
sold
a
miserable
25,000
copies
in
its
first
week
on
sale.

Less
than
two
weeks
after
launching,

Concord
was
shut
down
and
Sony
issued
refunds
to
everyone
who
bought
it.
However,
at
the
time
Sony
and
Firewalk
said
they
would
consider
ways
of
bringing
Concord
back,
with
many
assuming
this
meant
that
it
might
be
turned
into
a
free-to-play
title.

That
isn’t
to
be
though,
as
Sony
has
confirmed
Concord
is
being
“sunsetted”
and
will
not
be
returning.

“Regarding
Firewalk,
as
announced
in
early
September 
(An
Important
Update
on
Concord),
certain
aspects
of
Concord
were
exceptional,
but
others
did
not
land
with
enough
players,
and
as
a
result
we
took
the
game
offline. 
We
have
spent
considerable
time
these
past
few
months
exploring
all
our
options.”

“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.”

Regardless
of
Concord’s
failure
and
how
you
feel
about
the
game,
it
always
sucks
to
see
people
losing
their
jobs
and
it’s
a
shame
that
we’ll
never
get
to
see
if
Firewalk
Studio
had
anything
else
in
the
tank.
Just
getting
to
do
a
single
project
before
being
shuttered
is
harsh,
but
in
this
case
understandable:
if
the
reports
are
accurate,
Concord
was
in
development
for
far
too
long
and
cost
way
too
much,
chasing
trends
that
had
peaked
long
before.

As
for
Neon
Koi,
it’s
a
shame
they
never
got
to
release
even
one
project.