Summary
- The Steam version of Concord is receiving post-shutdown updates.
- Some fans think this means that it's being reworked into a free-to-play experience.
- Potential obstacles for Concord's return include lack of interest, poorly-received character designs, and its PSN account requirement.
The Steam version of Concord is still being updated despite the fact that the game shut down over a month ago. When Sony first revealed Concord earlier this year, the game was met with apathy from the community. Sony is best known for its blockbuster single-player experiences, and so many fans were disappointed when Concord was unveiled as a live-service, multiplayer-only hero-shooter game.
Concord's character designs were similarly met with backlash from the community, and when the game launched as a $40 premium product, it was immediately dismissed by the vast majority of PlayStation fans. Steam users on PC rejected it in even greater numbers, with Concord's peak concurrent player coun t on the platform not even hitting 700 total. Mere weeks after its launch, Sony announced that Concord was shutting down, though the door was open for the game to eventually make a return.
The Biggest Victim of Concord's Brief Life Was Also Its Most Underappreciated
Concord's very brief life was filled with tragedies, and there's one underappreciated element of the game that will likely remain that way forever.
Recent developments suggest Concord could indeed be trying to make a comeback of some kind. Reddit user theonewithcats noticed that Concord's files on the platform are still being updated, with the last update released on October 8. It's unclear what purpose these post-shutdown updates serve, but fans are speculating that the developers may be turning Concord into a free-to-play experience.
Concord Steam Version is Still Getting Updates
If Concord goes free-to-play, it should do wonders for the game's player count compared to how things went down when it was a $40 game. Even then, though, Concord will be fighting an uphill battle. A switch to a free-to-play economy won't magically make Concord's universally-panned character designs more appealing, and that is honestly one of the biggest reasons why a lot of players didn't bother with the game.
Concord will be represented through an episode of Secret Level, a new animated anthology series premiering in December on Amazon.
Let's not forget that PC gamers had a chance to play Concord for free before launch and hardly any bothered to do so. Concord's free beta period saw a peak of 2,388 concurrent players on Steam, which is still pretty abysmal. Still, that's more than what the game managed to draw as a $40 game, and perhaps, over time, it can do what other live service games have done and turn around its public perception.
One big hurdle that will likely still be extremely problematic for Concord on Steam if it does come back as a free-to-play game is its PSN account requirement. Many Steam users have protested the PSN requirement Sony is imposing on its Steam games by review bombing and simply refusing to play the games. So, even if Concord comes back as a totally free-to-play game, it may still find itself struggling with getting Steam users to check it out.
Concord
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 64 /100 Critics Rec: 23%
- Released
- August 23, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Firewalk Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
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 CREW
From 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.
