"Thank you team, we made something awesome" - Concord developers mourn the failed FPS that PlayStation pulled the plug on after just 14 days
Sep. 7, 2024Some of them played until the very end - or at least until they had to go to bed
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And just like that,Concord servers are now offline. PlayStation pulled the plug on itsstruggling hero shooterjust two weeks after it stepped out into the brutal live service arena, while Firewalk Studios works out"the best path ahead.“Buyers have been refunded, but developers who worked on the game are now saying their (maybe temporary) goodbyes.
Concord animator David Reyes posted a picture of the game’s now ultra-rare Platinum Trophy -the one that had players desperately jumping off cliffs- that only 0.2% of players ever nabbed. “This platinum is very special to me… Thank you team, we made something awesome.”
“I cannot thank this community enough for the amount of love and support they’ve poured into us,” community development lead Bethany Hulsetweeted. “Thank you for being here, and for being a part of the journey.”
“It’s gone,” senior lighting artist Adam Alexandertweeted. “I’m sorry to see it go, but I am so lucky to get to have worked with Firewalk and this team for the last two years. I’ve had the chance to work with and learn from some of the most talented, kind folks in the field here, and am proud of what we made.”
Lead character designer Jon Weisnewski instead spent the game’s last hours posting some admittedly cool clips from the shooter that make me kind of sad I might never get to try it. He also had some cool tips and tricks to share for any freegunners that were still kicking about - see below.
After cramming in as many matches as he could, designer director Josh Hamricktweetedthat “It was really hard to stop playing and head to bed. I love this game so damn much. Thanks for the matches, y’all.”
If you’re curious about what Concord’s final seconds looked like, there wasn’t actually anything flashy going on in-game to mark it going offline, aside from an anti-climaticnotification screen, probably because the team didn’t have much time to prepare.
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What happens now is anyone’s guess. I imagine PlayStation would want to recoup some development costs from its close toeight-year production journeyby potentially cramming Concord to fit a free-to-play model. But as a former Destiny developer recentlypointed out, there have been bigger comebacks in gaming, so anything’s possible.
After Redfall and Suicide Squad, Concord’s death must be the nail in the coffin for the industry’s failed live-service push.
Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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