Sony Shuts Down Firewalk and Neon Koi

Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) has announced the closure of two of its subsidiaries, Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi, effectively marking the end of Concord. The game, developed by Firewalk, failed to find its footing in the competitive online gaming landscape, and as a result, SIE has decided to pull the plug on the project entirely. This decision follows months of internal discussions after Concord’s performance fell short of expectations.

Difficult Decision Made After Concord Fails to Resonate with Players

In an official statement from SIE’s Studio Business Group, a spokesperson explained the move, saying,

As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen SIE’s Studio Business, we have had to make a difficult decision relating to two of our studios – Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios. Regarding Firewalk, as announced in early September, certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not land with enough players, and as a result we took the game offline. We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options.

The spokesperson continued, stating that despite significant efforts, “After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio.” Firewalk’s shutdown highlights how competitive the gaming market has become, with even high-profile projects not guaranteed success.

The Japanese tech giant also confirmed the dissolution of Neon Koi, which had been working on an action game for mobile devices. While details about Neon Koi’s project were limited, it had been intended for release on iOS and Android platforms. SIE’s choice to close both studios underscores a focus on realigning resources to meet player expectations more effectively.

Acknowledging the talent within both studios, Sony pledged to help reassign some employees within other PlayStation Studios subsidiaries. SIE concluded by noting, “Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.”

For fans and developers alike, the closure serves as a reminder of the challenges in creating enduring gaming experiences in today’s industry.