BREAKING: Concord's Firewalk Studios Officially SHUT DOWN By Sony

Concord and Firewalk Studios: How Ideology Over Innovation Led to Gaming's Biggest Failure

Here's the coverage we all expected - Sony Interactive Entertainment recently confirmed the inevitable: after years of misguided development and toxic workspaces, Firewalk Studios has officially shut down, marking an unsurprising end for what was once positioned as PlayStation's supposed 'answer' to multiplayer innovation. Despite a colossal budget rumored to be exceeding $400 million and over eight years in development, Concord failed to attract any player base whatsoever, and is now widely regarded as one of the biggest missteps in gaming history EVER.

For those of us who have tracked Firewalk's journey, starting all the way back when they were called 'Probably Monsters' prior to Sony purchasing them, this outcome isn't shocking in the slightest—it’s the inevitable consequence of a studio that prioritized ideology, HR-driven culture, and “progressive” PR stunts over a genuine love and passion for gaming.

In a press release from Sony Interactive Entertainment, Hermen Hulst, CEO of Studio Business Group at Sony, attempted to try and soften the blow, framing the closure of Firewalk as a necessary step for PlayStation Studios to "meet near and long-term business priorities." But it's impossible for me to ignore the thinly veiled undertone: Concord didn’t fail just because the PvP first-person shooter space is "a competitive space that’s continuously evolving."

It failed because Firewalk Studios was more focused on injecting their ideological narratives into the workplace and the game itself than on... you know... creating an engaging experience for players.

A Culture of Disdain for Gamers

Firewalk’s tenure as a studio is riddled with missteps and clear indicators that their priorities were woefully out of touch with what gamers actually wanted. Over the years, the studio gained a reputation for its HR-driven practices—an environment that constantly emphasized ideological messaging, pronouns, and “inclusive” initiatives over what actually brings players to gaming: compelling content and immersive gameplay.

As I discussed in my coverage on 'The Professor' above, the internal culture was more about optics than outcomes, and it showed. Instead of hiring developers with a true passion for game design, they hired those whose priorities lay in activism, viewing their role not as creators of entertainment but as enforcers of a social agenda.

Hulst, in his announcement, touched on Concord’s “exceptional” aspects while acknowledging that other areas “did not land with enough players.” It's difficult to interpret this as anything other than a reluctant admission that Firewalk simply missed the mark with Concord.

The game was lacking in any essential elements that make a multiplayer game successful—replayability, competitive balance, and that elusive quality of "fun." - and let's be honest - charging $40 for a game in the FTP sphere was a joke from jump. We sensed the studio's disdain, reflected not just in their product but in their public engagements, where they often alienated the very audience they sought to attract.

Misplaced Priorities and Financial Mismanagement

Sony’s recent press release also underscored Firewalk's staggering financial failure. With the rumored $400 million poured into a project that Sony hoped would redefine the multiplayer genre, Concord’s collapse was a beyond costly lesson in what happens when a studio lacks any real passion and focus. As Hulst put it, "We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live service capabilities." However, these “lessons” should have been learned long before this project spiraled out of control.

The reality is that far too many of Firewalk’s employees seemed to view their roles less as developers and more as custodians of their ideology. In countless instances, they sidelined the fundamentals of game design, prioritizing social agendas and HR-driven initiatives over player experience. This isn't to say all employees were this way, hell - I even had one reach out to me that was totally normal and down to earth, being a whistleblower for just how bad it really was there. The most telling aspect of this failure was that despite all the warning signs, Firewalk pushed forward with Concord, ignoring any player feedback and spending millions upon millions on features that gamers never asked for.... and didn’t enjoy.

A Legacy of Failure

Firewalk’s closure is ultimately a relief for PlayStation’s brand and for players who deserve better. Twitter is celebrating this as a major win. The team at Firewalk may have begun with good intentions, but the reality of their product—and the culture that produced it—reveals a studio that lost sight of its purpose - assuming they ever had it, in the first place. In Sony’s announcement, Hulst acknowledged that “we did not hit our targets with this title,” a rather polite and PC way of describing the reality: Firewalk’s obsession with HR narratives and ideological conformity left zero room for the creative experimentation that he claims to champion... But hey, details.

While it’s always unfortunate to see talented individuals lose their jobs, Firewalk’s fate was sealed the moment they decided to prioritize messages over mechanics. They could have saved a lot of money if they had the right leadership in charge... but no. Sony’s decision to “permanently sunset the game and close the studio” was the only feasible option, given Concord’s disastrous performance and the lack of connection with the gaming community. If anything, this serves as a stark warning to any other studios tempted to follow in Firewalk’s ideological footsteps.

Looking Forward: A Lesson for PlayStation Studios

With Firewalk and Concord now in the rear view, PlayStation has an opportunity to return to what once made it great: creating exceptional, player-focused experiences. Hey - they did it with Astro-Bot! Hulst’s final remarks in the press release, expressing hope for the future, hint that Sony is aware of its missteps. But for PlayStation to genuinely “build a resilient and capable organization driven by creating unforgettable entertainment experiences,” they have to try and ensure that every studio under their brand is committed to gaming first and foremost— and not as a vehicle for ideology. It needs to be a source of joy for players around the world.

In the end, Firewalk Studios will be remembered as THE textbook example of what can go wrong when a game studio loses sight of its audience and its purpose. With Concord, they tried to create something meaningful in a genre where gamers demand quality, authenticity, and fun. Instead, they delivered one of the industry’s most expensive failures ever, proving that once again... no amount of “progressive” messaging ever replaces the true passion for game design.

~Smash