Sony Shuts Down Firewalk and Neon Koi Studios Following Concord's Disappointing Launch

Sony is closing Firewalk Studios, the developer of the PlayStation title Concord, which went offline last month following a difficult launch. PlayStation’s Head of Studios, Hermen Hulst, informed staff that Firewalk Studios, along with the mobile-focused Neon Koi studio, will be shut down, impacting approximately 210 employees, according to Bloomberg.

“We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options,” said Hulst. “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.”

Hulst noted that Concord did not meet Sony’s performance expectations and stated that the company would “take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live-service capabilities to drive future growth in this area.”

Concord, which launched on August 23rd for PS5 and PC, struggled with low sales and player engagement, leading Sony to take it offline by September 6th. Sales estimates were under 25,000, with a peak of only 697 concurrent players on Steam, even lower than The Lord of the Rings: Gollum at launch.

Neon Koi, originally known as Savage Game Studios before Sony’s acquisition in 2022, was working on an unannounced AAA live-service mobile action game. Despite Hulst affirming that mobile remains a growth priority for Sony, the game will no longer move forward.

“With this re-focused approach, Neon Koi will close, and its mobile action game will not be moving forward,” Hulst said. “Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization.”

Some affected employees may find roles within Sony’s other studios, while others will join the many game industry professionals facing layoffs in recent years.