How Concord could actually return: Laying out a long-term plan for troubled PlayStation shooter

The signs were certainly on the wall for Concord from the beginning, but here’s how we think the PlayStation shooter could return with a plan for success in the long run.

When Concord first stepped into the spotlight (beyond a vague CGI teaser in 2023), it quickly became clear the internet wasn’t too keen on this one. A lengthy yet objectively high-quality cinematic aired in 2024 to reveal the game properly and it certainly wasn’t met with positivity when PlayStation fans realized what they were looking at.

Immediately following the cutscene was our first look at Concord in action, revealed to be a hero-shooter of sorts, one with a relatively soulless appearance at that. You can’t name a Marvel-esque character ‘Star Child’ and not expect any flak.

From its first moments out in public, Concord struggled to capture an audience. This was only made clear by utterly abysmal player counts in the initially private and then public Beta tests. It all spelled doom for the new live-service release from PlayStation, and much like everyone predicted, the full launch on August 23 didn’t move the needle.

It attracted fewer players than games proven to be a scam, and in just 12 days, Sony swiftly pulled the plug. It’s now being taken offline as developers at Firewalk Studios “explore options.”

So while the game’s first run was obviously short-lived, it’s this crucial detail most are glossing over. Concord isn’t being entirely abandoned.

Yes, it’s being taken down for an indefinite period, but those involved behind the scenes are searching for ways to bring it back with more success.

With that in mind, here’s how we would handle the game’s rerelease so Concord can get a proper shot and not simply be taken out back again.

The sunk-cost fallacy

According to those involved, Concord was in development for “around eight years.” While Firewalk would have certainly grown over those years, the team today reportedly has a headcount of more than 150 employees.

In the AAA space, 150 staff members over that period of time doesn’t come cheap. We’re talking about tens of millions, possibly even hundreds of millions of dollars pumped into the team throughout the course of Concord’s development.

Not being able to reap any return on such a costly endeavor no doubt stings, but since Concord actually made it to market, Sony can’t shove it aside as a tax write-off either. The product existed, therefore its creators have to eat the loss.

Concord is officially shutting down on September 6th, offering full refunds to all players pic.twitter.com/8mJ6FDC56t

— Dexerto (@Dexerto) September 3, 2024

But despite its abrupt hiatus, it’d be a real shocker if PlayStation pulled the plug with permanent effect. It goes without saying but that leaves zero chance to recoup any costs whatsoever.

So with that in mind, Concord shouldn’t be fully abandoned anytime soon, but its team should be scaled back considerably on the road to a relaunch.

Starting small, again

First, the industry needs some time. Like similar blunders in the gaming space, be it Cyberpunk’s disgraceful debut, FFXIV’s first crack, or even No Man’s Sky’s disappointing launch, all similar cases have one thing in common: They take time to let the controversy blow over.

Concord’s developers should hold fire on any communication for at least a few months. There’s no reason to reopen the wound anytime soon. Once we’re at a quieter spot in the always-busy market, the goal should be to shadow-drop the hero shooter without any strings attached.

Concord launching with an entry fee was among its biggest offenses. Correct that mistake by relaunching the game for free.

Let prospective fans jump in and check it out for themselves, see what everyone else was blabbering about before its initial downfall. Just through that step alone, you could capture thousands of curious players who are left surprised by its objective quality.

Leverage Sony’s marketing arm for a big splash on the day of release, and watch as the horrendously low player count records of old are eclipsed in no time at all. Free is the way to go, and should have been from the very beginning.

Gradual climb

From here, it’s crucial Firewalk learns its lessons not to overcommit right away. Learn from past mistakes not just in this instance, but across the industry. Live-service games are rarely overnight success stories. For every Palworld there are a dozen attempts that simply don’t make a dent. You can’t bank on Concord’s relaunch instantly attracting a six-figure player base and growing from there. It’s going to take time.

Downsize the team right away, there’s no need to have 150+ employees when the cake is mostly already baked. No one can argue Concord’s fundamentals haven’t been solid from the get-go. It comes from a talented crew with serious FPS chops. Rely on that to strike a chord and slowly build from there.

Concord’s original plan was to release new cinematic story beats with a weekly cadence. If that’s the case, you have to imagine a hefty chunk of these are already finalized. You can’t produce high-quality CGI with mo-capped performances in a few days, these have to be planned well in advance, thus there should be plenty to fall back on.

Slow the pace of the rollout. Deliver a new cinematic even every fortnight, but this can’t be the only thing keeping players around. We knew the team had plans for at least three seasons, as seen in the game’s first roadmap. Clearly, there’s plenty more content waiting to be deployed. Drip-feed it all as the community finds its footing.

New maps, modes, characters, features, and story beats, all of it can help foster a healthy player base over time. But that’s the most important point, it has to be given time.

Playing the long game

Live-service games are inherently big risks. There’s no guaranteed success, especially not out of the game. These projects require time to settle, to establish a community of dedicated players while having a bigger portion of fans rotating in and out.

For Concord to avoid another quick death, it needs to be supported properly, with long-term plans in place. Think 3-5 years of loose ideas mapped out, not just 3-5 months. Crucially, this needs to be communicated. No one will return to Concord for round two if Sony doesn’t back it in such a way.

Why sink time into a game that could just die again in a matter of weeks? For it to be taken seriously the second go around, Concord needs to be set up for the long run, with developers actively promoting plans for the years to come.

It’s going to be a PR nightmare at first, now that Concord has effectively admitted defeat amid a sea of vitriol from mostly toxic gamers on social media. But with the right game plan, the right long-term strategies in place, and the right support from all involved, Concord could just stand on its own two feet as a solid hero shooter.

Will it ever reach the heights of an Overwatch 2? Let’s be real, it’s not likely. But it could very well find an audience and serve them well over the course of the next few years.