Concord, despite its early withdrawal from the market just weeks after its launch, continues to receive updates on Steam. Dive into the details of these updates and the swirling speculations about what they might mean for the game's future.
Concord SteamDB Updates Ignite Speculations
Will Concord Become Free-to-Play? Get Improved Gameplay? Speculations Arise
Remember Concord? The hero-shooter that hit the market with a whimper rather than a bang? Despite being officially offline since September 6th, its Steam page has been buzzing with updates.
Since September 29, SteamDB has tracked over 20 updates for Concord. These updates, pushed by accounts like "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping," suggest backend improvements. The "QAE" in the account names likely stands for "Quality Assurance Engineer," indicating ongoing efforts to refine the game.
When Concord launched in August, it aimed to disrupt the hero shooter genre with a $40 price tag—a risky move given the dominance of free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. The launch, however, was a complete flop. Just two weeks after release, Sony pulled the game and issued refunds to all players, citing a lack of interest and a tiny player base. Concord was quickly labeled as "dead on arrival" with poor ratings across the board.
So, why is a game that failed so spectacularly still getting updates? In the shutdown announcement, Ryan Ellis, then-Firewalk Studios Game Director, mentioned that they would "explore options, including those that will better reach our players." This has sparked speculation among gamers that Concord might be gearing up for a comeback, possibly as a free-to-play title. Removing the initial paywall could address the primary criticism it received.
Despite its disastrous launch, Sony's substantial investment—reportedly up to $400 million—suggests a strong motivation to salvage the project. The ongoing updates hint that Firewalk Studios might be reworking the game, potentially adding new features and addressing feedback on lackluster characters and uninspired gameplay.
Sony has remained silent on its plans for Concord, leaving fans to wonder if the game will return with enhanced mechanics, a wider appeal, or a different monetization strategy. Even if it relaunches as free-to-play, Concord will face fierce competition in a saturated market.
Currently, Concord is unavailable for purchase, and Sony has not made any official statements about its future. Only time will tell if these speculations materialize or if Concord can rise from the ashes of its initial failure.
