The short-lived hero shooter Concord could be coming back to Steam, potentially as a free-to-play F2P game or following another kind of rework.
Concord originally debuted back in August 2024 and was deemed a massive flop. The game’s player count cratered, peaking at 700 concurrent players at launch. Sales and player counts were so bad that Sony took the game offline just two weeks later. New data shows, however, that this might not be the end for Concord.
Here’s why some fans are speculating that Concord could be returning as a F2P game.
Concord is still getting updates on Steam, despite Sony shutting it down
Developers are actively working on Concord, even weeks after its shutdown.
According to SteamDB records, developers have been updating Concord every day since September 30, 2024. Update names include “s1testnightly,” “pmtest,” and the more vague “sonyqae.” Given that the game shut down on September 6, many suspect that Concord is getting some kind of rework.
There are a number of potential fixes that Concord developers could be working on. Since release, players have complained about a variety of in-game topics including matchmaking issues and the lack of rewards for continual play.
Ultimately, however, the biggest thing that needs to be fixed is convincing more people to play the game. That’s where a possible free-to-play pivot could come in.
Could going F2P save Concord?
Making Concord F2P could drive more players in to try it out, which could in turn revive the game to some degree.
F2P games usually make money through in-game purchases and premium upgrades. Fortnite, for example, is a F2P that sells character and weapon skins that has reportedly made $26 billion to date. Concord could follow a similar formula and entice fans in with a free game, then add bonuses that enhance player experience.
This isn’t an uncommon approach, as most games in the hero shooter genre opt for a free-to-play model. Even games such as Overwatch and PUBG: Battlegrounds debuted with a price tag, but went free-to-play over time.
Estimates for how much Concord made have varied wildly, but have often come in at over $100 million. Sony could potentially recoup a greater percentage of the costs by betting on the long-term audience over initial sales.
Concord has a rough road ahead, and becoming a F2P game will only address some of the game’s issues. Hopefully, the development team is also working on quality-of-life changes rather than just adjusting the game’s structure.