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Concord: A Massive Letdown in the Hero Shooter Genre
Introduction
Concord was launched on August 23, 2024, with high expectations, backed by Sony and Firewalk Studios. Despite this, it quickly failed to meet both critical and commercial expectations, leading to its servers being shut down just two weeks later on September 6, 2024.
Video source: YouTube.com/PlayStation
1. Crowded Market and Lack of Innovation
Concord was released into an already saturated market of multiplayer hero shooters like Overwatch 2, Apex Legends, and Valorant. It didn’t offer anything new or compelling to differentiate itself. Many players felt the game didn’t stand out enough from other live-service shooters, leading to low engagement from the start.
2. Low Player Count and Sales
Despite a significant marketing push, Concord sold poorly, with reports suggesting only around 25,000 copies were sold across PS5 and PC. Player engagement was also dismal, with peak concurrent players on Steam never surpassing 700, an alarmingly low number for a major title.
3. Technical Problems and Delays
At launch, Concord suffered from technical issues, including performance problems on PC and long server downtimes. These issues were exacerbated by a lack of timely updates and content, leaving players frustrated. Firewalk Studios had overestimated the game’s readiness, and the live-service model suffered from a lack of content, which was promised but delayed.
4. Monetization Issues
While the game didn’t have a battle pass, its monetization model still drew criticism. Players felt the in-game purchases and cosmetics were overpriced, especially for a game that was already struggling to retain its audience.
5. Premature Shutdown
Due to these factors, Sony made the unprecedented decision to pull Concord from sale and shut down its servers just two weeks after launch. Players were offered full refunds, and the game is now seen as one of the biggest commercial flops in recent PlayStation history.
Conclusion
Concord serves as a stark reminder of the challenges facing live-service games in an overcrowded market. Its failure can largely be attributed to a lack of unique identity, technical issues, and poor player retention.
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