Sony Interactive Entertainment Closes Two Game Studios Amidst ‘Concord’ Failure

Following the significant impact of Concord, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has made the decision to close down two game studios, Firework Studio and Neon Koi Games.

Firework Studio, the developer of the multiplayer shooting game Concord, was established in 2018 by the developers of Destiny. After being acquired by SIE in 2023 and joining PlayStation Studios, the studio had been working on the Concord project.

SIE recently shared an in-house email from Herman Hirst, CEO of the studio division, on its official blog, announcing the closure of Firework Studio and Neon Koi Games. According to CEO Herman, this decision was necessary to strengthen the organization.

The closure of Firework Studio is considered a major factor in the failure of Concord, which was released in August of this year. Concord was met with criticism for its character design, which was deemed overly focused on political correctness. Users also reported various issues with the game, including a lack of intuitive gameplay.

Concord was discontinued just two weeks after its release. The cost spent by SIE to acquire Firework Studio and develop Concord is estimated to be around 400 million dollars (approximately 550 billion won).

Sony Interactive Entertainment’s decision to close Firework Studio and Neon Koi Games highlights the challenges faced by game developers in creating successful titles. The failure of Concord serves as a reminder of the importance of balancing creative vision with player expectations and feedback.