Sony has found itself humiliated by the colossal failure of its $200 million video game Concord, which has been pulled from shelves just two weeks after launch. The game, which was meant to be a marquee title for PlayStation’s live service portfolio, is being seen as a major loss for the company and a prime example of the "get woke, go broke" phenomenon. Concord, developed by Firewalk Studios, aimed to promote diversity and inclusion, but instead, it alienated its player base and flopped both critically and commercially.
Launched on August 23, 2024, Concord was positioned as a competitive multiplayer shooter. It was marketed heavily, with Sony investing years and substantial resources into the game, expecting it to become a staple in the PlayStation ecosystem. Instead, the game attracted a mere 697 concurrent players at its peak on Steam and failed to even break 25,000 total unit sales across platforms. Disappointed by these dismal numbers, Sony opted to pull the game from sale, offering full refunds to all players.
Sony Playstation pulling the plug off Concord after 15 days from its release, $200M and 8 years wasted 😮#Concord pic.twitter.com/ZuP0egKYvv
— Maverick Reploid (@ProtoMan812) September 3, 2024
What set Concord apart was its overt focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) elements. The game featured a range of diverse characters, including obese women, transgender individuals, and gender-fluid characters. However, this representation was not met with enthusiasm by the majority of gamers, who found the game’s political overtones more distracting than appealing. Many felt that the game's identity politics overshadowed its gameplay, contributing to its rapid decline.
The failure of Concord has drawn comparisons to other high-profile flops in recent years, particularly Warner Bros.' decision to scrap the Batgirl movie in 2022. Much like Batgirl, which was shelved due to concerns about its potential reception, Concord was deemed so disastrous that Sony chose to remove it from digital storefronts entirely rather than try to salvage it with patches or updates.
Concord LOSSES $200 Million for Sony!!#ConcordLaunch #Concord https://t.co/NgirjPVsvR pic.twitter.com/sYohjN3rvZ
— Dermy Wermy 🇺🇲 (@dermy_wermy) September 3, 2024
This episode highlights the increasing tension between media companies' push for inclusive content and the tastes of mainstream audiences. Many consumers, particularly in the gaming community, have shown little interest in titles that prioritize social messaging over engaging gameplay. As a result, Concord’s failure is likely to serve as a cautionary tale for developers who might be tempted to focus more on DEI agendas than on delivering a solid gaming experience.
Sony’s move to acquire Firewalk Studios in 2023 was part of its broader strategy to expand into live service games, an area the company had been relatively slow to enter. While the acquisition and subsequent development of Concord were seen as key steps in this direction, the game’s abysmal performance has cast doubt on Sony’s ability to compete in this space. The failure could also hurt Sony’s plans to leverage its acquisition of Bungie, another live service powerhouse.
As the fallout from Concord continues, it raises questions about the future of DEI-focused content in the gaming industry. While some companies remain committed to incorporating diverse characters and narratives, this latest disaster suggests that doing so at the expense of gameplay can have dire financial consequences. Sony’s leadership will likely need to reconsider how it balances the demand for inclusivity with the desire for successful, engaging titles.
In the meantime, the gaming community is left wondering what will come next for Sony, which now faces a significant financial setback and reputational damage. While the company may try to retool Concord for a possible free-to-play release, many industry insiders believe it is more likely that the project will be quietly shelved, marking the end of one of Sony’s most costly gaming ventures.
