Summary
After over a year of sitting on the sidelines, Sony’sConcordis finally out to make an impression. While Firewalk’s live-service FPS hasn’t seen the best reaction from gamers yet,Concorddoes have one advantage over other up-and-comers.
Concordreleased a pair of trailersas part of Sony’s State of Play, finally delivering on what the game’s announcement promised back in 2023. The game looks to be trying to carve another niche in the hero shooter market with 5v5, FPS gameplay. However, that market is already crowded—something reflected in the widespread disdain for the title. This is evident from just the YouTube comments on the title’s trailers, with many berating the game’s lack of originality. Indeed, a cursory look atConcord’s promotional material will show how Firewalk wears influences likeGuardians of the GalaxyandOverwatchon its sleeve.
Concord’s Early Access Beta Gives It A Leg Up On Marvel Rivals
On the other hand, it’s not all doom and gloom for Sony’s new live service. ThoughConcordmay be receiving backlashnow, it won’t be long before it gets the chance to put up or shut up. Not only will the title release on August 23, a date not too far in the future, but those who preorder the game will be able to take themselves and four friends intoConcord’s early access beta. Since preorders start June 6th, the beta period will likely start swiftly after—meaning thatConcordwill be ushering players onboard far faster than a game likeMarvel Rivals.
Marvel Rivalshas seen smoother sailing when compared toConcord, despite the fact that it’s trying to barge into a similar market. Marvel, naturally, has the advantage of characters that have been beloved for decades, as well as some new ideas like destructible environments. Despite this,Marvel Rivalshas been a tad sloweron the uptake, with a closed alpha in May and a closed beta set for July.Concordhaving a shorter pipeline from trailers to beta to release could really work out in its favor.
Concord’s Beta Can Set It Up For Success, So Long As A Strong Foundation Is Present
Thestar factor ofMarvel Rivalsis not insurmountable, especially given the near-immediate failure of a game likeMarvel’s Avengers. IfConcordcan reverse its fortunes with genuinely great gameplay and fresh ideas, it could pry open the market in a way Marvel can’t. At the moment,Concordis suffering from a lack of any real draw; everything in the game’s promotional material reeks of its influences. However, these growing pains can all be thrown aside ifConcordis a fun game with engaging characters—and the fact that the title will be playable very soon could stop these woes before they fester.
In the meantime,Concord’ssaving gracecould be in new story content. The blog post following the game’s announcement stated that weekly cinematics will be released after launch, but Firewalk should double down on the expedient hype train with character promotion between preorders and release. If Firewalk can prove thatConcord’s cast is more than an attempt to one-upGuardians of the Galaxy, it will be able to get fans on board for a quick beta period.
Concord Could Still Be Moving Too Fast
On the other hand, there is an advantage toMarvel Rivals' method—that being the ability to receive and implement player feedback. Firewalk is limited in its ability to do this thanks to the release date it’s aiming for, butfeedback is flying atConcordnonetheless. Those betting onConcordwill have to hope that it offers far more than what trailers are presenting.
Concord
WHERE TO PLAY
Assemble your crew of Freegunner space outlaws and team up online with friends for thrilling 5v5 PVP modes across the galaxy in Concord.Concord is a new team-based first-person shooter for PS5® and PC*. Handpick your personal roster of Freegunners from the crew of the Northstar – a group of outlaws and adventurers working as guns-for-hire.ASSEMBLE YOUR CREWFrom powerful mystics to skilled gunslingers and helpful healers, each Freegunner brings their own unique skills, personality, and abilities that cater to a wide-range of playstyles.Create your own custom squads of Freegunners with Crew Builder to bring an arsenal of different role types to the match or focus on your favourite characters to master their gameplay and unlock unique modifiers, cosmetics, background lore, and more – you decide when to play your characters and how you impact the match.PLAY. PROGRESS. PERSONALIZE.Earn and unlock a wide range of character customization items and learn more about the characters, worlds, and factions in the Concord Galaxy with the Galactic Guide.You’ll also be able to progress toward and unlock Freegunner Variants—versions of each of the 16 Freegunners with added Combat Trait modifiers to their base abilities. As you learn and master the characters, Combat Traits empower you to tailor each character to your playstyle.
