Despite its swift demise after launch, Concord, Sony's ill-fated hero shooter, continues to receive updates on Steam. This unexpected activity has sparked considerable speculation among gamers.

Concord's SteamDB Update Mystery

Free-to-Play Resurgence? Gameplay Overhaul? Theories Abound

Remember Concord? The hero shooter that flopped spectacularly? Despite its official delisting on September 6th, its Steam page shows a steady stream of updates.

Since September 29th, SteamDB has logged over 20 updates, attributed to accounts like "pmtest," "sonyqae," and "sonyqae_shipping." These account names suggest the updates might focus on backend improvements and quality assurance ("QAE" likely stands for Quality Assurance Engineer).

Concord's August launch, priced at $40, aimed to challenge established free-to-play giants like Overwatch, Valorant, and Apex Legends. The attempt backfired dramatically. Within two weeks, Sony pulled the game, offering refunds. Low player numbers and overwhelmingly negative reviews sealed its fate as a commercial failure.

So, why the continued updates for a seemingly dead game? Ryan Ellis, then-Game Director at Firewalk Studios, hinted at exploring alternative strategies, including ways to better reach players, in the game's shutdown announcement. This fuels speculation of a potential relaunch, possibly as a free-to-play title to overcome the price barrier that hindered its initial success.

Sony's substantial investment—reportedly up to $400 million—makes a salvage attempt plausible. The updates suggest Firewalk Studios might be refining the game, adding features, and addressing criticisms such as underwhelming characters and uninspired gameplay.

However, Sony remains silent on Concord's future. A relaunch with improved mechanics, broader appeal, or a revised monetization model remains purely speculative. Even a free-to-play model faces an uphill battle in a saturated market.

Currently, Concord is unavailable for purchase, and Sony offers no official statements. Only time will reveal if these speculations hold any truth or whether Concord will ever recover from its disastrous debut.