Key conclusions
- Concord received a backend update every day for 11 days in a row.
- Speculation suggests that Concord will return as a free-to-play game.
- Concord faced many problems.
According to SteamDB data, Concord has been updated on the backend for 11 days in a row. We don't know the specifics of these updates, but it's proof that Sony and Firewalk Studios aren't completely abandoning their very expensive failed live service project.
The community has speculated that Concord could return as a free-to-play game with cosmetic microtransactions in the hopes that a small fan base could recoup some of the development costs. It's certainly not the first twist in gaming history, but it's one of the most unlikely. Concord debuted without much fanfare and ultimately failed to capture the attention of players, but perhaps its cult status as a very expensive failure could help garner more attention around the relaunch.
Concord has been updated for 11 consecutive days
Ultimately, the problem with Concord was never that it seemed unfinished or technically flawed; the problem was that Concord is a pay-to-play live-service shooter, developed by an unknown studio unrelated to the popular IP, and launched in a market that has become increasingly hostile to live-service games. Success was not impossible, but also unlikely.
Concord's reception from critics wasn't bad either, with many reviewers agreeing that the basic shooting was very satisfying, but with the caveat that it was all too reminiscent of existing hero shooters. Our own Sam Hallahan said in his 3/5 review that Concord “tried to stand out in a crowded hero shooter market.”
One of the more surprising consequences of Concord's massive marketing spend is that we're getting an episode of the upcoming anthology series Secret Level set in the Concord universe. Concord will join titles such as Pac-Man, Unreal Tournament and Armored Core in being adapted for the animated anthology. Unfortunately, the number of people who will watch this episode of Secret Level may be more than the number of people who played Concord.
It looks like Concord won't be completely abandoned, and only time will tell how Sony and Firewalk try to turn things around. Concord remains unavailable for play on all platforms at this time.
Concord is an upcoming FPS from Firewalk Studios, part of the PlayStation Studios family. A multiplayer PvP game, it is scheduled for release on PS5 and PC in 2024.
