Source: PlayStation / Firewalk Studios / Concord
The writing was on the wall, and PlayStation finally did what everyone knew was coming and closed Firewalk Studios.
Firewalk Studios was on borrowed time following the disastrous launch of its hero shooter, Concord. The time has ended after Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) shuttered the studio, after just acquiring them over a year and a half ago. The PlayStation owner also closed the mobile studio Neon Koi.
“I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing SIE,” PlayStation CEO of the studio business group Hermen Hulst said in a memo to staff shared on Tuesday. “Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.”
When PlayStation made the shocking decision to take Concord offline on September 6, the company did leave a sliver of hope that the game could return.
Hermen Hulst Touches On Concord’s Failure
In his memo, Hurst discussed Concord’s failure to meet expectations, writing, “Certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not attract enough players, and as a result, we took the game offline.”
“We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” Hurst continued. “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. The PvP first-person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving, and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title. We will take the lessons learned from ‘Concord’ and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.”
Damn.
The decision to close both studios comes five months after Hulst and Hideaki Nishino took over as PlayStation’s CEOs. This is the latest blow to the video game company after Destiny creator Bungie, which Sony now owns, laid off more than 200 employees in August.
The video game community had plenty to say about the tragic news; those reactions are in the gallery below.