• Sony has confirmed that it is shutting down the studio behind its ambitious Overwatch clone, Concord.
• Firewalk Studios took the game offline last month.
• As many as 172 employees will reportedly lose their jobs as a result of the studio shutting down.

The launch of Concord, PlayStation’s failed attempt at creating an Overwatch rival, has been nothing short of disastrous. This can be best summed up by the fact that the game was taken offline only two weeks after its release on PS5 and PC.

Now the final nail in the coffin has been hammered, with Sony confirming that it is shutting down the studio behind the game – Firewalk Studios.

“Regarding Firewalk, as announced in early September certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not land with enough players, and as a result we took the game offline.  We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” noted Hermen Hulst, CEO of Studio Business Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) in an official statement.

“After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio.   I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit and dedication,” he added.

Firewalk is not the only studio to suffer this week, with Neon Koi also being shuttered.

“Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization.  Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible,” Hulst shared.

Official numbers have not been disclosed, according to Bloomberg, a total of 210 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the studios closing. 172 of those are said to be at Firewalk.

“While today is a difficult day, there is much to look forward to in the months ahead from the Studio Business Group and our teams.  I remain confident that we are building a resilient and capable organization driven by creating unforgettable entertainment experiences for our players.,” Hulst concluded.

It remains to be seen what the full fallout of this decision will be, but in recent years, many smaller studios have been shuttered, begging the question as to whether larger organisations should be allowed to acquire them, as well as whether they ultimately have the best intentions of the studios at heart when measured against profitability and share prices.