Concord’s game director has reportedly stepped down from his role, with the game’s future still uncertain.
According to Kotaku, Ryan Ellis told Fireworks Studios staff last week that he would no longer serve as game director on Concord, and would instead be stepping down to a support role.
Citing three sources familiar with the story, the outlet reported that Ellis was emotional when he first spoke to employees after the game’s launch, as it was clear that the game would be a huge flop.
“Ryan believed deeply in the project and brought players together through the fun of the project,” one former developer told Kotaku. “There are things he could have done differently during development, but he’s a good guy and full of heart.”
Earlier this month, Sony announced that it planned to take Concord offline just two weeks after its release, stop selling the game, and offer refunds to all players who purchased it.
The news follows reports that the PS5 and PC game may have only sold around 25,000 copies across both platforms since its launch on August 23.
“Concorde fans, we’ve been listening closely to your feedback since Concorde launched on PlayStation 5 and PC, and we want to thank everyone who’s joined us on our journey aboard Northstar,” Ellis said at the time.
“Your support and the passionate community that has grown around the game has meant the world to us. But while many of the qualities of the experience have resonated with players, we also recognize that other aspects of the game and its initial launch didn’t work out as we had intended.
“Therefore, for now, we have decided to take the game offline starting September 6, 2024 and explore our options, including options to better reach our players. While we determine the best path forward, Concord sales will cease immediately and any gamers who purchased the game on PS5 or PC will be offered a full refund.”
It’s not yet clear what the future holds for Concord, and it’s unclear whether Firewalk will continue to lead the game’s development.
Despite the setback, Amazon Prime Video’s upcoming animated anthology Secret Level will still retain the Concord-themed episodes and will not be removing them from its lineup.
