'Wrong from start to finish': PlayStation pulling Concord game 2 weeks after launch

PlayStation is pulling the plug on its online first-person shooter game less than two weeks after it launched.

Concord, which debuted on Aug. 23, will go offline Friday after a flood of negative feedback, game director Ryan Ellis announced in a blog post Tuesday.

"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," Ellis wrote. "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."

Full refunds will be given to game buyers and sales will cease immediately as developers "determine the best path ahead."

How to get a refund for Concord

Gamers who bought Concord will be refunded in full regardless of how or where they bought the game, according to Ellis' blog post. Players will immediately lose access to the game once they are refunded.

Those who bought the game through video game digital distribution services like Steam Store and Epic Games store will be refunded in the coming days and should receive confirmation once processed.

Customers who bought a physical copy of the game at a retailer outside of PlayStation should refer to that specific retailer to be refunded, Ellis wrote.

Why did Concord game fail?

Concord suffered poor weekly sales, peaking at 697 concurrent players, significantly low for the video game brand owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Variety reported.

According to Forbes video game critic Paul Tassi, the main reason for Concord's failure was its $40 price, as several other hero shooter games are free to play.

Tassi also blamed the market "oversaturation" of the hero shooter genre, arguing that games like Overwatch and Valorant make it hard for future games to thrive. He also criticized the character designs and overall game aesthetics, as well as a poor marketing campaign, among other reasons.

"It’s clear the concept and execution for Concord did almost everything possibly wrong from start to finish," he wrote.