Stella Chung via ParallaxStella YouTube
IGN writer Stella Chung made the absurd claim that PlayStation never believed in Firewalk Studios’ Concord game after it was shut down less than two weeks after it was released.
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
Firewalk Studios Game Director Ryan Ellis announced the studio was shutting down the game in an official PlayStation blog post, “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.”
He also shared that the company will be offering full refunds, “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. If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method.”
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
Following this announcement Chung wrote, “My heart breaks for Firewalk Studios. The fact that it wasn’t even given at least six months to properly sit through a season and adjust as a proper live-service game is insane to me.”
She then added, “It’s very clear PlayStation didn’t believe in this from the start and failed to support it.”
Stella Chung on X
First off, the game failed to launch and was seeing declining player numbers day over day. On launch day, August 23rd, it only hit a peak concurrent player count of 697. On September 2nd, that peak concurrent player count had declined to 110.
It’s quite likely the game would have had zero players playing if given “at least six months” as Chung suggests.
Concord Steam DB concurrent player data
As for Chung’s claim that that PlayStation did not believe in the game, this is patently false. On April 21, 2023, Sony Interactive Entertainment, PlayStation’s parent company purchased Firewalk Studios in the hopes of having the developer “define a new generation of live service experiences for PlayStation gamers.”
In a press release, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment Jim Ryan lauded the acquisition, “Firewalk Studios is led by a world-class team that is highly experienced and deeply passionate about creating exceptional multiplayer games that foster memorable shared experiences.”
He added, “I’m confident the studio’s upcoming project will be a robust addition to PlayStation Studios’ portfolio, and its live service and technology expertise will be instrumental in helping grow PlayStation’s reach.”
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
Herman Hulst, the Head of PlayStation Studios had similar praise, “We’re thrilled to expand upon our collaborative relationship with Firewalk Studios and formally welcome the team to PlayStation Studios.”
“We’ve had the privilege of working with ProbablyMonsters and Firewalk for several years and our teams share the same ambition to create meaningful experiences for gamers. Firewalk’s innovative approach to connected storytelling and its commitment to high-quality gameplay continues to exceed our expectations. I think fans will be very pleased when they see what Firewalk has in store for them,” he added.
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
In fact, Tony Hsu, the Studio Head at Firewalk Studios made it abundantly clear that Sony had been supporting their vision of the game the entire time.
He said, “SIE has supported our team’s vision from the beginning and with the incredible creative power of the PlayStation Studio ecosystem. This exciting next step will help us transform that vision into a reality.”
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
Not only did Sony and PlayStation acquire the studio and had been supporting its vision the entire time, but Sony actually created an exclusive controller for Concord priced at $84.99.
An image of a limited edition Concord controller
PlayStation also spotlighted the game multiple times on its official blog and even gave the game a full 10 minutes at the beginning of its State of Play back at the end of May.
Just to compare, Concord received six blog entries while Monster Hunter Wilds has currently received only five. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has only received three blog entries to promote the game.
What do you make of Stella Chung’s claims about Concord?
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