Concord, Sony's Major Flop, Continues to Get Updates on Steam

Despite its swift demise after launch, Concord, Sony's ill-fated hero shooter, continues to receive updates on Steam. This unexpected activity has sparked considerable speculation amongst gamers.

Concord's SteamDB Updates Fuel Speculation: Free-to-Play Resurgence?

Remember Concord? The hero shooter that flopped spectacularly? While officially offline since September 6th, its Steam page shows a surprising number of updates. SteamDB logs over 20 updates since September 29th, attributed to accounts like "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping," hinting at internal development and quality assurance efforts.

Concord's August launch, priced at $40, directly challenged established free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. The result? A catastrophic failure. Pulled from stores within two weeks, refunds were issued, and the game was widely considered a "dead on arrival" title due to poor player reception and low ratings.

So why the continued updates? Firewalk Studios' former Game Director, Ryan Ellis, hinted at exploring alternative strategies, including those with broader player reach. This fuels speculation of a potential free-to-play relaunch, addressing the initial price point criticism.

Sony's substantial investment (reportedly up to $400 million) makes a salvage attempt understandable. The updates suggest a possible game overhaul, incorporating new features and addressing past criticisms of weak character design and uninspired gameplay.

However, this remains conjecture. Sony's silence leaves the future of Concord uncertain. Will it return with improved mechanics, broader appeal, or a revised monetization strategy? Only Firewalk Studios and Sony possess the answer. Even a free-to-play model faces a challenging uphill battle in the saturated hero shooter market.

Currently, Concord remains unavailable, and Sony offers no official statements. Whether Concord rises from its ashes remains to be seen.