Sony announced, last Tuesday (29), the closure of two of its game studios, Neon Koi and Firewalk Studios , both recently acquired. The measure is part of a strategic restructuring of the company. The CEO of Sony's studio division, Hermen Hulst, explained that the decision aims to align the company's resources with its business priorities, both in the short and long term.
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Neon Koi, focused on developing mobile games, and Firewalk Studios, responsible for the game “Concord” , had their activities definitively closed. The game, released in August and budgeted at US$400 million, performed below expectations and was withdrawn from circulation shortly afterwards. In an official statement, Sony pointed out that the choice to close the studios was made after a detailed analysis of the portfolio and performance of the projects.
End of Firewalk Studios after the failure of “Concord”
The decision to close Firewalk Studios is directly related to the performance of “Concord”. The title was launched to compete in the “hero shooters” market, a highly competitive sector. However, the game failed to attract a solid player base. In a statement, Sony stated that, despite certain innovative aspects, the game did not achieve its projected goals.
Hermen Hulst publicly thanked the Firewalk team for their commitment and dedication, highlighting the production company's creative spirit. According to him, the decision, although difficult, was necessary to preserve the efficiency of the company's resources. “We will take the lessons learned from Concord and continue to enhance our live service capabilities to drive future growth ,” Sony commented.
Neon Koi: revised strategy for the mobile market
Neon Koi, focused on developing mobile games, also closed its operations. The company, which recently began its expansion in this sector, states that the mobile games market remains a priority, but that it will focus on titles more in line with the essence of PlayStation Studios. With this, Sony hopes to reach a wider and more diverse audience.
In an official note, the company highlighted that, although the mobile market is promising, it is necessary that the projects are in sync with the vision of the PlayStation studios. “We are in the early stages of our mobile efforts, and we need to direct our focus to games that match the PlayStation Studios pedigree and that can reach a global audience ,” explained the company.
These decisions are part of a broad restructuring that Sony has been implementing in its gaming divisions. According to the company, the adjustments aim to prepare the studios for a constantly evolving market. Thus, reinforcing the commitment to experiences that provide long-term growth.
