Despite its swift demise weeks after launch, Sony's hero-shooter, Concord, continues to receive updates on Steam, sparking considerable speculation among gamers. This article delves into the ongoing updates and explores the potential reasons behind them.
Concord's SteamDB Update Mystery
Free-to-Play Resurgence? Gameplay Overhaul? Theories Abound
Remember Concord? The hero-shooter that fizzled out almost immediately? While officially unavailable since September 6th, its Steam page shows consistent updates.
Since September 29th, SteamDB has logged over 20 updates attributed to accounts like "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping." These account names suggest a focus on backend fixes and improvements, with "QAE" possibly indicating "Quality Assurance Engineer."
Concord's August launch was a significant misstep. Priced at $40, it faced stiff competition from free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. The result? A disastrous launch, a rapid withdrawal from digital stores by Sony, and refunds issued to players. The game was widely considered a failure.
So why the continued updates? Ryan Ellis, former Firewalk Studios Game Director, hinted at exploring options for better player reach in the shutdown announcement. This has fueled speculation of a potential comeback, possibly as a free-to-play game. This would address the criticism leveled at its initial paid model.
Sony's substantial investment—reportedly up to $400 million—suggests a desire to salvage the project. The updates might signal a significant overhaul, including new features and improvements to address criticisms regarding character design and gameplay mechanics.
However, Sony remains silent on Concord's future. Will it return with refined mechanics, broader appeal, or a revised monetization strategy? Only Firewalk Studios and Sony possess the answer. Even a free-to-play relaunch would face a challenging uphill battle in a saturated market.
Currently, Concord is unavailable, and Sony has yet to make any official statements. The future of Concord remains uncertain, leaving gamers to speculate on whether it can ever recover from its initial failure.
