Summary
As Firewalk’s Lead Character Designer, Jon Weisnewski, confirmed in a recent Tweet,Concordhas been in development for around eight years. This news comes as a pretty big surprise to many in the gaming industry, not just because developer Firewalk was founded just six years ago, but also because that’s an incredibly long development cycle for a multiplayer video game, even one that now falls underPlayStation’s first-party umbrella.
In April 2021, Sony announced that it was entering an exclusive publishing partnership with Firewalk Studios, and two years later, the studio was officially acquired by Sony. Though the exact details are a little hazy, it seems likely that Sony has invested a great deal in Firewalk andConcordover the last few years.Concordis now officially out, and while it might not be leading the charge for PlayStation’s live-service department as intended, its first-party budget does give it one or two edges over its competition.
It’s important to note thatConcord’s budget has not been officially detailed by Sony or PlayStation, though leaks last June did allege that Sony has spent over $200 million on first-party titles likeHorizon Forbidden WestandThe Last of Us Part 2.
Concord’s First-Party Status Gives it a Few Advantages
Concord’s Visuals Are Top-Of-The-Line
Probably the clearest indication ofConcord’s presumed higher budget, the hero shooter’s visuals look spectacular across the board. Leaning heavily into itsGuardians of the Galaxyinfluences,Concordis filled with brief moments of vibrant color, with its hyperspace loading screens popping suddenly with a rainbow of light, and certain special abilities emitting a dazzling array of sparks and flashes. Many ofConcord’s particle effects are also suitably vibrant, while still feeling grounded in the game’s universe.
Though the designs themselves have been criticized for being too generic or derivative,Concord’s playable Freegunnersall boast some extremely detailed character models and some impressive motion capture. The animations in general are pretty great, with even the Freegunners' reload animation injecting a subtle but neat layer of charm that distinguishes them from one another.
It may not have the same fidelity as a game likeSenua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, or the same heavily stylized pop as agame likeBorderlandsorZelda: Tears of the Kingdom, butConcord’s visuals are a key strength. And when compared to its more cartoony competition,Concord’s more grounded Sci-Fi art style does go a long way in making it stand out from the crowd.
Concord’s Marketing Is Keeping It in The Public Eye
Another clear indication ofConcord’s status as a first-party PlayStation title is its rather extensive marketing campaign. Along with multiple pre-release trailers,Concordhas been pushed to the front of social media platforms like TikTok, where ads for the game run frequently. WithConcord’s Open Betabeing a bit of a disappointment when it came to active players, this heavy marketing push both before and afterConcord’s release makes a lot of sense.
But despite PlayStation’s best efforts,Concord’s launch-day numbersaren’t looking too hot. According to SteamDB,Concordhas an all-time peak player count of just 697 players, and at the time of writing, it’s been three days since the game had its full launch. ThoughConcord’s marketing has kept it in the conversation, it doesn’t seem to have encouraged many players to jump aboard, at least on PC.
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.
