Concord taken offline two weeks after launch; Sony issues full refunds
Sony released the $40 online shooter Concord on August 23, 2024, then took it offline on September 6, 2024 — about two weeks later. All purchasers received full refunds, and the game has not returned in any form.
- Date
- September 6, 2024
- Platform
- PlayStation Store
- Refunds offered
- Yes
- Offline copy provided
- No
What happened
Concord, a $40 online-only hero shooter from Sony's Firewalk Studios, launched on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23, 2024. On September 3, 2024, Sony announced it would take the game offline on September 6, 2024 and refund all purchases. Sales were halted immediately.
In October 2024, Sony announced the permanent closure of Firewalk Studios and confirmed Concord would not return.
Consumer impact
- Every purchaser lost access to the product roughly two weeks after buying it.
- Full refunds were issued across all storefronts — the mitigating factor that distinguishes this case.
- No offline mode existed or was provided; the game is preserved nowhere for its purchasers.
Why it matters
Concord is among the fastest major-publisher purchase-to-revocation cycles on record and a clean illustration that an online-only "purchase" is operationally a refundable-at-publisher-discretion license. The refund handling is also a useful benchmark: full, automatic restitution is possible when a platform chooses to provide it.
Sources
- An important update on Concord (Sep 3, 2024) — PlayStation.Blog (Sony)
- Sony is taking Concord offline, ceasing sales and offering refunds — Video Games Chronicle (archived)