The Most Beautiful Car We’ve Crashed”: Ex-Employees Reflect on Concord’s Monumental Failure

Former Firewalk Studios Employees Reflect on the Beautifully Crashed Concord Project

Former Firewalk Studios staffers recently spoke out about the challenging development and ultimate downfall of Concord, a project they remain proud of despite its commercial failure. During an episode titled “Game Over” on the “A Life Well Wasted” podcast, host Robert Ashley interviewed former members of the Seattle-based studio. Though not named directly, listeners recognized the interviewees as former employees of Firewalk Studios, a subsidiary of Sony. One developer notably compared the experience to “driving the most beautiful car we’ve ever crashed.” Throughout the interview, the participants referred to the game, the studio, and Sony generally as “the game,” “the studio,” and “the big company,” respectively.

Despite Concord’s unfortunate demise shortly after its beta release, the development team expressed immense pride in their work and the studio’s culture. Firewalk was described as a workplace where “talent walked hand in hand with empathy and respect.” One developer shared, “This was the first studio where I truly felt like an equal. Everyone was super talented, respectful, and kind. It’s great when you walk into the ladies room and find hygiene products, even better when there are other women there. In many places, it felt like you had the bathroom to yourself. Here, there was diversity.” Another employee summarized the atmosphere by stating, “I felt like on that day I would run into battle for the company. I was exhilarated.”

Titled Collision of Missteps: Concord’s Downfall Amidst Disappointed Players

The interview made it clear that Concord’s failure was not due to a lack of skill or drive within the team but rather a series of management and marketing decisions that set the project on a collision course. Beta tests revealed a significant gap between internal studio confidence and player engagement. “We started off optimistic,” an ex-employee recalled. “We thought the criticism of the initial trailer was just misunderstood. But when the beta numbers were way below expectations, we realized things could go south fast.” Public perception worsened as poor performance made headlines. As one developer noted, “People found out about our game through its failure, not its potential. It became news for disasters. There were plenty of articles, YouTube videos, and negative comments online. The public perception formed before anyone even played.”

Downfall’s Echo: Concord’s Bittersweet Failure and Pride Among Developers

Interviewees also discussed the prevalent culture of “cheering when big-name productions bomb.” Many players saw Concord as “the next big game from Sony” and celebrated its downfall. This reaction was particularly difficult for the development team. “It’s simple to jump on the punching up bandwagon, like we were just critiquing the big corporation,” one developer explained. “But those who feel it directly are us, the people who put a lot of effort into the project. We’re staring at our keyboards thinking, ‘No work today.'” While the team acknowledged and even agreed with some criticisms, significant changes were impossible due to the rigid schedule, sunk costs, and pressure from executives. Despite the game’s commercial failure and the studio’s closure, a core feeling of pride in the work endured among the former staff. “It was the most stunning wreck we’ve ever had,” one stated, adding, “For players and colleagues who gave the game a shot, all my love. I’m sad for not reaching its audience, but it was special. I wouldn’t swap this experience for anything.” Another former employee, identified as Travis, underscored the team’s perspective in a separate account:

Remembering Concord’s Silent Success and Sony’s Unconventional Refund Policy

“I’ve got to share something – I was part of that Concord project. And yeah, I’d love people to know about it. We put our hearts into it, win or lose. The game was solid, but unofficial reports say Concord would’ve sold just 25,000 copies on PC and PS5. Sadly, Sony didn’t profit from it at all. They returned the full cost to players two weeks post-release because they shut down servers and pulled the game from stores. Makes you think like the whole thing was a secret flop, huh?”

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