Concord Shutdown

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Overview

Concord Shutdown, also known as the Concord Shutting Down Controversy, refers to the complete shutdown of the 2024 first-person hero shooter game Concord just 11 days after it launched for PC and PlayStation 5. The sudden announcement of the video game's cancelation in early September 2024, as well as refunds for all players who purchased the game, led to a large backlash against Firewalk Studios and Sony Interactive Entertainment. Critics of Concord also praised its failure as the news spread online, with many posting memes and jokes that mocked the game, including discourse about it being a flop.

Background

On September 3rd, 2024, 11 days after it launched, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced via a blog post^[2] that its hero shooter Concord would be removed from sale and that it would shut off the game's servers on September 6th, 2024, after failing to generate many players.

The X^[1] / Twitter account @Dexerto posted the message written by Firewalk Studios Game Director Ryan Ellis in which he thanked the fans' support and recognized "that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn’t land the way we’d intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning Sept. 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players." The X post (seen below) amassed more than 16,000 likes and 2,400 reposts in a few hours.

Concord fans - we've been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC and want to thank everyone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar. Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us. However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn't land the way we'd intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline beginning September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players. While we determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased the game for PS5 or PC. If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation Store or PlayStation Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method. Customers who purchased from other digital storefronts will also be refunded. More information about refunds from Steam and Epic can be found below: Steam Store - Steam Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days. Steam will send confirmation of the refund once it has been processed. Epic Games Store - Epic Games Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days and will contact each customer directly to confirm that the refund has been processed. Other retailer refunds - For customers who have purchased a physical copy at a retailer location outside of PlayStation directly, please refer to the refund process of the retailer you purchased it from to obtain your refund. Once refunded, players will no longer have access to the game. We'll keep you updated and thank you again to all the Freegunners who have joined us in the Concord galaxy.

The company also offered players refunds for purchasing the physical copy of the game.^[2]

Online Reactions

Concord's shutdown news quickly spread and created a significant amount of backlash and mockery against Sony and the studio behind the game, with numerous gamers complaining about the state of the current gaming industry and the oversaturation of the hero-shooter genre and its live service model.

For example, on September 3rd, 2024, X^[3] user @TheNCSmaster posted the Grant Gustin Next To Oliver Queen's Grave meme, adding a Concord promotional image over the grave (seen below), which amassed over 3,200 likes and 570 reposts in a few hours.

TheNCSmaster @TheNCSmaster · Follow X Astro Bot dropping the same day Concord gets pulled could be the biggest middle finger by single player games to live services concord 12:47 PM - Sep 3, 2024 ☹

Also on September 3rd, TikToker @bluethunder^[4] uploaded a video explaining Concord's shutdown (seen below), amassing roughly 8,000 plays and 545 likes in a few hours.

@bluethunder Concord is SHUTTING DOWN FOREVER! #concord #playstation #gaming #gamingontiktok ♬ original sound – Blue Thunder

YouTubers, streamers and other gaming content creators posted videos about Concord shutting down in early September 2024, as Twitch streamer Asmongold did in a September 3rd video (seen below), which amassed over 125,000 views and 7,900 likes in a few hours.^[5]

The topic also became the subject of memes and discussions on Reddit. For example, Redditor Atreus421bo^[6] posted a screenshot of a tweet about the game's shutdown on September 3rd, 2024 (seen below), which garnered more than 3,900 upvotes and 920 comments in a few hours.

Wario64 @Wario64.2m Concord is going offline beginning September 6th blog.playstation.com/ 2024/09/03/an-... "However, while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and our initial launch didn't land the way we'd intended. Therefore, at this time,... concord fans-we've been listening closely to your feedback since the launch of Concord on PlayStation 5 and PC veryone who has joined the journey aboard the Northstar. Your support and the passionate community that und the game has meant the world to us. while many qualities of the experience resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the launch didn't land the way we'd intended. Therefore, at this time, we have decided to take the game offline September 6, 2024, and explore options, including those that will better reach our players. determine the best path ahead, Concord sales will cease immediately and we will begin to offer a full refund no have purchased the game for PSS or PC. If you purchased the game for PlayStation 5 from the PlayStation n Direct, a refund will be issued back to your original payment method. who purchased from other digital storefronts will also be refunded. More information about refunds from S an be found below: re-Steam Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days. Steam will send confirma once it has been processed. es Store - Epic Games Store will refund players who bought the game over the coming days and will contac directly to confirm that the refund has been processed. ailer refunds-For customers who have purchased a physical copy at a retailer location outside of PlayStatio ease refer to the refund process of the retailer you purchased it from to obtain your refund. nded, players will no longer have access to the game. you updated and thank you again to all the Freegunners who have joined us in the Concord galaxy. 110 17259 558 ili 12.2K go

Search Interest

External References

^[1] X – Dexerto

^[2] PlayStation Blog – An important update on Concord

^[3] X – TheNCSmaster

^[4] TikTok- bluethunder

^[5] YouTube Concord Is Shutting Down Forever

^[6] Reddit Concord is Shutting down

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