The director of the upcoming game Concord has stepped down his role at Firewalk Studios in, apparently, a shocking turn of events. As per a report from Kotaku, Ellis has stepped down to fulfill an advisory role at the studio but his exit raises serious questions about both the future of the game and Firewalk Studios.
What Happened to Ryan Ellis?
Ryan Ellis, a video game industry veteran who most recently Be Go Back 2: Creative director to Destiny 2 as well as having played on projects such as Star Wars: The Force Unleashed Oddworld: stranger wrath, Tony Hawk’s Underground 2 and Spider-man 2 (2004). Ellis had two decades of experience and was seen as the “main shot caller” on Concord, a live-service sci-fi shooter that Firewalk was making for Sony.
As Kotaku explains, Ellis was absolutely on board with the vision behind Concord. It was something Ellis “had a ton of faith in that project to bring players together through the joy in it,” said one source.
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While the full extent of those internal challenges is a bit unclear, it would appear that more issues arose later on and influenced him to exit his post as game director. Not only that, but Ellis is said to have been brought to tears during an All-Team Meeting for the project post-announcement, showing just how much pressure and passion are going into the game.
Firewalk Studios in Limbo
The future of Firewalk Studios is currently up in the air as it stands. The studio, which employs around 150-170 people, is still waiting to hear what Sony has planned next. Ever since Sony acquired Firewalk, folks have wondered what their place in PlayStation’s greater ecosystem was meant to be. Without a firm statement from Sony, some employees are already actively finding new gigs, and numerous artists at the studio have begun posting production artwork for Concord online.
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What was previously viewed as a tentpole to join Sony’s new live-service lineup now seems shaky. Sony has been keeping very quiet so far about what will happen to the game and the studio, leaving fans and staff at the developer in limbo.
What’s Next for Firewalk?
While the live-service game market has only been growing, questions about Concord could arise if Sony is indeed going to be all-in on live-service games. In general, Sony has mentioned having a keen on selling future live-service games at $40 retail could either open doors for Firewalk or indicate its own priorities are changing.
Another possibility is that Sony will leave Firewalk Studios up and running as a live-service support studio for future tentpole projects. This may not be what fans of Concord were hoping to see but it could help protect Firewalk’s talent, even if the studio isn’t producing its own games.
Firewalk could also be assimilated by other Sony studios, as there are several larger studios within shouting distance of it. That studio is located in Bellevue, Washington so will be close to Sucker Punch Productions, which is best known for June 2020 release Ghost of Tsushima. The Seattle-based team at Valkyrie Entertainment is also one possible destination for any Firewalk staff looking to make a landing.
Will Layoffs Follow?
The gaming industry has been suffering a considerable number of layoffs in the past year or so. And Firewalk could be its latest victim. While it has not been confirmed, layoffs are expected to be announced soon if Sony follows the usual procedure of axing some employees and integrating others into the broader development teams at Sony.
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There is no word as to whether or not Ryan Ellis leaving the game director position means he is exiting Firewalk altogether, or just changing roles. It’s possible that he and other key staff members do not have the option to resign immediately, following the recent acquisition of the studio. Either way, Ellis’ move is a massive one for him and the future of Concord.
What Happens This for Concord?
As of now there is no way to know what happens next for Concord. I know losing Ryan Ellis seems bad, but it is not the end of the world. But with Sony remaining mum on the development, fans may not get any updates for longer than they were hoping.
The circumstances serve as a harsh reminder of just how precarious the position is for studios developing live-service games. Now it is a wait and see what Sony does with Firewalk Studios as well as on the building of Concord. Is this one of those ambitious game projects that will never come to fruition due to the over saturated development graveyard?
In the meantime, we send best wishes to the Firewalk boys following their new partnership and look forward to seeing them continue to prosper in gaming – be it under Sony or perhaps elsewhere.