Sony Interactive Entertainment will shut down servers of its multiplayer first-person hero shooter, Concord, and the company will be offering a refund to all those who purchased the game.
It was recently reported that sales of Concord had been disappointing, with the number of copies sold estimated to be around 25,000. Today, the official PlayStation Blog offered an important update on the game’s future. On September 6, 2024, Sony Interactive Entertainment will shut down Concord servers, and the company will be offering a refund to anyone who bought the game. The game will cease to sell immediately.
The decision to shut down Concord servers and offer a refund within two weeks of the game’s launch is unprecedented. That said, it does seem to be the right call, given the extremely low Active Player Count on Steam (and likely also on PlayStation Network).
In the blog post, Ryan Ellis, Concord game director at Firewalk Studios mentioned that the development team has been closely following player feedback since the game’s launch on PlayStation 5 and PC. He said that while some aspects of the game resonated with players, other parts failed to meet expectations. As a result, the studio has decided to take the game offline starting September 6, 2024, and explore other options that might better connect with the player base.
Those who bought the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct will receive a refund to their original payment method. Refunds will also be provided to customers who purchased from other digital storefronts. Steam Store refunds will be processed in the coming days, and Steam will send a confirmation once completed. Epic Games Store refunds will also be processed in the coming days, with Epic contacting customers directly to confirm. Meanwhile, those who bought a physical copy from a retailer outside of PlayStation will need to follow the retailer’s refund process to receive their refund. Once refunds are issued, access to the game will be revoked.
