Sony’s Concord Online Service Shuts Down: What to Know About the Disastrous Launch and September 6th Cancellation

Sony’s PlayStation game, Concord, is getting the axe. Yep, you read that right – the game is being taken offline on September 6th due to poor sales. It launched exclusively on PS5 and PC on August 23rd, but estimates put sales at a whopping under 25,000 units. That’s not exactly a robust start. In fact, Concord only managed to reach an all-time peak of 697 players on Steam, which is lower than the launch peak of another game, The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, which is often considered one of the worst games of 2023.

In a PlayStation blog post, Concord’s game director, Ryan Ellis, announced the decision to take the game offline, stating that the team will explore options to better reach players. Ellis says that until they figure out the best path forward, sales of the game will cease immediately, and players who purchased the game for PS5 or PC will receive a full refund.

If you bought the game from the PlayStation Store, you’ll get a refund to your original payment method. Steam and Epic Games Store customers will also receive refunds, although it’ll take a few days. It’s worth noting that Concord launched as a $40 game after eight years of development, going up against popular free-to-play alternatives like Overwatch and Valorant in the competitive hero shooter genre. Unfortunately, it seems like Concord just couldn’t compete as a paid game, especially without a unique selling point.

Firewalk Studios’ mention of options to better reach players and the refunds do make it seem like Concord might make a comeback, possibly as a free-to-play game. Ellis thanks fans for joining the Concord galaxy and promises to keep them updated.