"Sony's Concord Still Receiving Steam Updates Despite Flop"

Despite being pulled from stores shortly after its launch, Concord continues to receive updates on Steam, sparking curiosity and speculation about the game's future.

Concord SteamDB Updates Ignite Speculations

Will Concord Become Free-to-Play? Get Improved Gameplay? Speculations Arise

Remember Concord? The hero-shooter that fizzled out shortly after its launch? Despite being officially offline since September 6th, Concord's Steam page has been buzzing with activity.

Since September 29, SteamDB has logged over 20 updates for Concord. These updates, pushed by accounts such as "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping," suggest a focus on backend fixes and improvements. The "QAE" in the account names likely stands for "Quality Assurance Engineer," indicating ongoing efforts to refine the game.

When Concord debuted in August, it aimed to disrupt the hero shooter market with a $40 price tag—a bold move given the dominance of free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. However, the launch was a disappointment. Just two weeks after release, Sony pulled the game and issued refunds to all players due to a lack of interest and a minimal player base. The game was widely considered a flop, receiving low ratings across the board.

So, why is a game that failed so spectacularly still receiving updates? In the shutdown announcement, Ryan Ellis, then-Firewalk Studios Game Director, mentioned that they would "explore options, including those that will better reach our players." This has led to widespread speculation that Concord might be preparing for a comeback, possibly as a free-to-play title. Removing the entry fee could address one of the main criticisms the game faced.

Despite its disastrous launch, Sony's significant investment—reportedly up to $400 million—suggests they might be keen to salvage their investment. The ongoing updates hint that Firewalk Studios could be using this time to overhaul the game, introducing new features and addressing criticisms about lackluster characters and uninspired gameplay.

Sony has remained silent about its plans for Concord, leaving the gaming community to wonder if the game will return with enhanced mechanics, broader appeal, or a new monetization model. Even if Concord relaunches as free-to-play, it will face stiff competition in an already saturated genre.

For now, Concord remains unavailable for purchase, and Sony has not made any official announcements about its future. Only time will tell if these speculations will materialize or if Concord will ever recover from its initial failure.