How Concord’s development ended up costing $200 million

Another Concord meets its fate.
Colorful characters from video game, futuristic weapons.
(Image via Sony)
TL;DR
  • Concord's development costs have exceeded $200 million, reports confirm.
  • Insiders estimate total costs, including additional expenses, to be as high as $400 million.
  • Sony may need to reassess investment strategies as high development costs impact their bottom-line.

Firewalk Studios’ game Concord went down into history as one of the biggest fails of 2024. Sony shut the game down after just two weeks due to extremely low sales. Reports suggest its development has cost Sony over $200 million—and that’s before marketing, IP rights, and delays are factored in.

Some insiders claim the actual cost could be as high as $400 million when all expenses are considered. That’s almost enough to release GTA V twice.

How could costs explode so massively? Concord, which was supposed to become Sony’s answer to Overwatch, has been in development for several years. Firewalk Studios, known for its team of veterans from hit franchises like Destiny and Call of Duty, was acquired by Sony in 2021.

The tech giant clearly had high hopes for this project. However, after the incredible flop, it appears that Sony even shut down the entire studio in Bellevue, WA.

Experts say that the main reason for the hefty price tag is salaries, operational costs, and extended development time that inflated budgets. Still, the $400 million estimate has raised eyebrows even among seasoned developers.

Other titles like Daikatana and Anthem serve as cautionary tales of mismanaged projects. But Concord’s reported costs push the boundaries of what many thought possible in game development.

Sony may need to reassess its investment strategies, potentially impacting future game development across the industry. Even Sony first needs to recover from a $200 million write-off, leaving little space for error on the publisher’s next release.

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