Firewalk Studios is no longer open: Sony announced on October 29, 2024, that it would close the Bellevue studio and permanently sunset Concord. The studio-level uncertainty is settled, but the reviewed public statements do not account for every former employee’s later employment. Washington’s state report lists 174 employees affected by the closure, while a separate contemporaneous report gave 172.
Is Firewalk Studios still open?
No. Sony Interactive Entertainment announced on October 29, 2024, that it would close Firewalk Studios. Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group, said: “After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio.” Sony said it had spent the months after taking Concord offline exploring options.
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That announcement resolved the studio’s status, not the individual employment outcomes of everyone who worked there. Sony said it would try to place some affected employees elsewhere in its global studio community where possible, but did not state how many people were placed.
How many Firewalk employees were affected?
The Washington State Office of Financial Management’s December 2024 economic report lists Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC, Firewalk Studios, as closing in Bellevue and affecting 174 employees, effective November 1, 2024. GeekWire also reported the state filing. Insider Gaming separately reported that 172 people were being let go. These are different reported figures; the available sources do not resolve the discrepancy.
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- Concord is a new team-based shooter for PS5 and PC, in which you take control of the fate of your team.
- Assemble your space crew of lawless freegunners in Concord and play online with friends in thrilling 5v5 PVP modes across the galaxy.
| Source | Reported figure | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Washington State Office of Financial Management, December 2024 report | 174 employees | State-reported closure figure for Bellevue, effective November 1, 2024. |
| Insider Gaming, October 29, 2024 | 172 people | A separate contemporaneous report of people being let go; it is not the state report’s figure. |
Neither number establishes what happened to each affected worker afterward. Sony’s statement described possible placements for some employees, without publishing a count or individual outcomes.
What happened to Concord?
Concord launched on PS5 and PC on August 23, 2024, according to GeekWire. On September 3, Firewalk game director Ryan Ellis announced that the game would go offline beginning September 6, sales would stop immediately, and Sony would offer full refunds to PS5 and PC purchasers. It went offline on September 6. Sony announced its permanent sunset on October 29.
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Sony explained the decision as a portfolio and business choice. It said some aspects of the game did not reach enough players, the PvP first-person-shooter genre was competitive and evolving, and Sony had not met its targets with the title. Those are Sony’s stated reasons, not independently established proof that any single factor caused the closure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How did Firewalk get to this point?
GeekWire reports that Firewalk was founded in 2018 and that Sony acquired the Bellevue-area studio in April 2023. The outlet describes Concord as Firewalk’s first and only project. In its final statement, reproduced by Insider Gaming, the studio said it was small during its first years and entered full production in 2022; that is Firewalk’s account of its own development history.
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After Sony’s October 29 announcement, Ellis wrote, “Firewalk is signing off one last time.”
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What remains unknown
- The reviewed sources do not provide a count of former Firewalk employees placed elsewhere at Sony or document each affected worker’s later outcome.
- They do not establish an authoritative Concord sales total or development-budget figure.
- The available reporting does not resolve why the state report lists 174 affected employees while Insider Gaming reported 172.
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