Sony is shuttering Firewalk Studios within the wake of its disastrous launch of Harmony, the PS5 shooter that lasted lower than two weeks earlier than being shuttered. The information was first reported by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier.
Firewalk Studios’ closure follows the reported departure of director Ryan Ellis, who stepped down after Harmony was taken offline. Sony Interactive Leisure publicly posted the inner e-mail from Studio Enterprise Group CEO Hermen Hulst with a statement on the closure, which you’ll learn under. Hulst wrote that SIE had “spent appreciable time these previous few months exploring all our choices,” however in the end determined to sundown the studio, which it had acquired in April 2023. The e-mail additionally pronounces SIE’s resolution to shut Neon Koi, a German studio engaged on a cellular motion recreation.
Pricey Workforce,
At this time, I need to share some vital updates from Sony Interactive Leisure’s Studio Enterprise Group.
We persistently consider our video games portfolio and standing of our initiatives to make sure we’re assembly close to and long-term enterprise priorities. As a part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen SIE’s Studio Enterprise, we’ve got needed to make a troublesome resolution relating to 2 of our studios – Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios.
Increasing past PlayStation units and crafting participating on-line experiences alongside our single-player video games are key focal areas for us as we evolve our income streams. We should be strategic, although, in bringing our video games to new platforms and acknowledge when our video games fall wanting assembly participant expectations.
Whereas cellular stays a precedence development space for the Studio Enterprise, we’re within the very early stage of our cellular efforts. To realize success on this space we have to think about titles which can be in-line with PlayStation Studios’ pedigree and have the potential to succeed in extra gamers globally.
With this re-focused method, Neon Koi will shut, and its cellular motion recreation is not going to be shifting ahead. I need to categorical my gratitude to everybody at Neon Koi for his or her laborious work and limitless ardour to innovate.
Concerning Firewalk, as introduced in early September (An Important Update on Concord), sure points of Harmony had been distinctive, however others didn’t land with sufficient gamers, and consequently we took the sport offline. We’ve spent appreciable time these previous few months exploring all our choices.
After a lot thought, we’ve got decided the perfect path ahead is to completely sundown the sport and shut the studio. I need to thank all of Firewalk for his or her craftsmanship, artistic spirit and dedication.
The PvP first particular person shooter style is a aggressive area that’s repeatedly evolving, and sadly, we didn’t hit our targets with this title. We are going to take the teachings discovered from Harmony and proceed to advance our dwell service capabilities to ship future development on this space.
I do know none of that is straightforward information to listen to, significantly with colleagues and associates departing SIE. Each selections got critical thought, and in the end, we really feel they’re the precise ones to strengthen the group. Neon Koi and Firewalk had been house to many gifted people, and we are going to work to search out placement for a few of these impacted inside our international neighborhood of studios the place potential.
I’m an enormous believer in the advantages of embracing artistic experimentation and growing new IP. Nevertheless, rising by sustainable financials, particularly in a challenged financial surroundings is vital.
Whereas at the moment is a troublesome day, there’s a lot to sit up for within the months forward from the Studio Enterprise Group and our groups. I stay assured that we’re constructing a resilient and succesful group pushed by creating unforgettable leisure experiences for our gamers.
Thanks in your continued help.
A post on LinkedIn from Firewalk Studios mentioned that the studio “started with the thought of bringing the enjoyment of multiplayer to a bigger viewers.” It notes that it started as a brand new startup in 2018, constructed a custom-made FPS engine, and extra. The submit goes on, “We took some dangers alongside the way in which – marrying points of card battlers and preventing video games with first-person-shooters – and though a few of these and different points of the IP didn’t land as we hoped, the thought of placing new issues into the world is vital to pushing the medium ahead.
“The expertise at Firewalk and the extent of particular person craft is really world-class, and groups inside Sony Interactive Leisure and throughout the business can be lucky to work with them. Please attain out to Recruiting at PlayStation for inquiries, and thanks to all of the very many groups, companions and followers who supported us alongside the way in which.”
First launched on August 23 for PS5 and PC, Harmony struggled on the outset with low concurrents earlier than Sony immediately introduced it was pulling the plug on September 3. We wrote in our postmortem of why Sony’s hero shooter failed, “The price of coming late to the celebration means you could convey one thing new to the desk. Sadly, Harmony is neither significantly modern nor content-heavy.”
Analysts, in the meantime, pointed to its weak advertising, excessive value level, and lack of distinguishing traits within the midst of shifting an estimated 25,000 items.
“The PvP first particular person shooter style is a aggressive area that’s repeatedly evolving, and sadly, we didn’t hit our targets with this title,” Hulst wrote in his e-mail saying the closure. “We are going to take the teachings discovered from Harmony and proceed to advance our dwell service capabilities to ship future development on this space.”
It has been a troublesome 12 months total for the video games business, which has been rocked by mass layoffs and studio closures because it continues to reckon with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Xbox, EA, Riot, and different publishers have all skilled layoffs prior to now 12 months, and Ps-owned Bungie introduced cuts in August impacting round 17 p.c of the studio.
Elsewhere, there are indicators of bother for PlayStation’s different dwell service video games. Bungie not too long ago posted a prolonged growth replace video for Marathon that nonetheless famous that it is nonetheless too early to point out, and Fairgame$ has been principally MIA since first being revealed in 2023. Sony president Hiroki Totoki has beforehand mentioned that round six of PlayStation’s dwell service video games are anticipated to be launched by March 2026. As for Harmony, there was hypothesis that it would go free-to-play in some unspecified time in the future, however with Firewalk’s shutdown it seems to be completed for good.
“See you within the Tempest,” Firewalk’s goodbye submit reads earlier than signing off one final time.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.