Sony Interactive Entertainment Closes Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi | Learn More Here
Sony Interactive Entertainment
Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the closure of two of its studios: Firewalk Studios and Neon Koi.
The Closure of Firewalk Studios
Firewalk Studios, known for developing the live-service game “Concord,” will be shutting down following the game’s permanent sunset. “Concord” was taken offline just two weeks after its launch on August 23, 2024, due to not meeting player expectations. Despite certain aspects of the game being exceptional, the competitive nature of the player-versus-player first-person shooter genre proved challenging. SIE has expressed gratitude to the Firewalk team for their craftsmanship and creative spirit.
The End of Neon Koi
Neon Koi, formerly known as Savage Game Studios, was acquired by Sony in 2022 and rebranded in 2023. The studio was focused on developing mobile games, a priority growth area for SIE. However, the mobile action game in development at Neon Koi will not be moving forward. SIE’s CEO of the Studio Business Group, Hermen Hulst, emphasized the need to concentrate on titles that align with PlayStation Studios’ pedigree and have the potential to reach a global audience.
Check out the full message from Sony Interactive Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst below.
Dear Team,
Today, I want to share some important updates from Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group.
We consistently evaluate our games portfolio and status of our projects to ensure we are meeting near and long-term business priorities. As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen SIE’s Studio Business, we have had to make a difficult decision relating to two of our studio— Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios.
Expanding beyond PlayStation devices and crafting engaging online experiences alongside our single-player games are key focal areas for us as we evolve our revenue streams. We need to be strategic, though, in bringing our games to new platforms and recognize when our games fall short of meeting player expectations.
While mobile remains a priority growth area for the Studio Business, we are in the very early stage of our mobile efforts. To achieve success in this area we need to concentrate on titles that are in-line with PlayStation Studios’ pedigree and have the potential to reach more players globally.
With this re-focused approach, Neon Koi will close, and its mobile action game will not be moving forward. I want to express my gratitude to everyone at Neon Koi for their hard work and endless passion to innovate.
Regarding Firewalk, as announced in early September (An Important Update on Concord), certain aspects of Concord were exceptional, but others did not land with enough players, and as a result we took the game offline. We have spent considerable time these past few months exploring all our options.
After much thought, we have determined the best path forward is to permanently sunset the game and close the studio. I want to thank all of Firewalk for their craftsmanship, creative spirit, and dedication.
The player-versus-player first-person shooter genre is a competitive space that’s continuously evolving, and unfortunately, we did not hit our targets with this title. We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to advance our live service capabilities to deliver future growth in this area.
I know none of this is easy news to hear, particularly with colleagues and friends departing SIE. Both decisions were given serious thought, and ultimately, we feel they are the right ones to strengthen the organization. Neon Koi and Firewalk were home to many talented individuals, and we will work to find placement for some of those impacted within our global community of studios where possible.
I am a big believer in the benefits of embracing creative experimentation and developing new IP. However, growing through sustainable financials, especially in a challenged economic environment is critical.
While today is a difficult day, there is much to look forward to in the months ahead from the Studio Business Group and our teams. I remain confident that we are building a resilient and capable organization driven by creating unforgettable entertainment experiences for our players.
Thank you for your continued support.
Join our Playasia Loyalty Program and earn Playasia coins for every purchase. Also, you can rank up to get even better Loyalty Program perks!
FOLLOW US ON X LIKE US ON FACEBOOK FOLLOW US ON IG