Firewalk Studios, the Sony-owned developer behind ill-fated PlayStation shooter Concord, has been shut down, and the game will remain permanently offline despite earlier suggestions it could return. Sony’s mobile-focused developer Neon Koi has also been closed.
Sony confirmed Firewalk’s closure in a post on its website, sharing an email from Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Hermen Hulst sent to the company’s employees earlier today. “We consistently evaluate our games portfolio and status of our projects to ensure we are meeting near and long-term business priorities,” Hulst wrote. “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.”
“Expanding beyond PlayStation devices and crafting engaging online experiences alongside our single-player games are key focal areas for us as we evolve our revenue streams,” Hulst added. “We need to be strategic, though, in bringing our games to new platforms and recognise when our games fall short of meeting player expectations.”
“Certain aspects of Concord were exceptional,” Hulst continued, “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 [and] 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.”