Despite its swift removal from stores just weeks after launch, Concord continues to receive updates on Steam, sparking curiosity and speculation about its future. Dive in to explore the latest developments and what they could mean for this beleaguered hero-shooter.
Concord SteamDB Updates Ignite Speculations
Will Concord Become Free-to-Play? Get Improved Gameplay? Speculations Arise
Remember Concord? The hero-shooter that launched with all the fanfare of a damp squib? Despite being officially offline since September 6th, Concord's Steam page has been bustling with activity, receiving consistent updates.
Since September 29, SteamDB has logged over 20 updates for Concord, driven by accounts such as "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping." These account names suggest that the updates might be focused on backend enhancements and improvements, with "QAE" likely standing for "Quality Assurance Engineer."
When Concord launched in August, it aimed to disrupt the hero shooter scene with a $40 price tag—a bold move given its competition with free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. However, the launch was a complete disappointment. Mere weeks after its debut, Sony withdrew the game and issued refunds to all players. The game struggled with a tiny player base and negligible interest, earning low ratings and being widely labeled as 'dead on arrival.'
So why is a game that flopped so spectacularly still receiving updates? In the shutdown announcement, Ryan Ellis, the then-Game Director at Firewalk Studios, hinted at exploring options to better connect with players. This has led to widespread speculation that Concord might be preparing for a comeback, possibly transitioning to a free-to-play model to eliminate the entry cost that many players criticized.
Sony poured a substantial investment into Concord—reportedly up to $400 million—so it's plausible they're keen to recover their investment. The ongoing updates suggest that Firewalk Studios could be using this period to refine the game, perhaps introducing new features and addressing the initial criticisms about its lackluster characters and uninspired gameplay.
However, none of these plans have been confirmed by Sony, who have remained silent on Concord's future. Could it return with enhanced mechanics, wider appeal, or a different monetization strategy? Only those within Firewalk Studios and Sony have the answers. Even if Concord does relaunch as free-to-play, it will need to carve out a space in an already saturated genre.
Currently, Concord is not available for purchase, and Sony has yet to make any official statements about its future. Only time will reveal whether these speculations will materialize or if Concord will ever recover from its initial setback.
