New PlayStation hero shooter Concord: Release date, platforms, Beta, more

A year on from its reveal, Concord has finally been thrust into the spotlight. PlayStation’s very own live-service hero shooter now has a release date along with some early gameplay to give fans a first taste. Here’s everything you need to know.

First unveiled back in 2023, Concord was highlighted as one of PlayStation Studios’ new efforts in the live-service space. While some of those projects, like The Last of Us Factions, haven’t seen the light of day for various reasons, Concord has remained on track and now, it’s just around the corner.

Initially described as a PVP FPS, we now know for certain Concord is effectively Sony’s answer to the hero shooter genre, pitting characters with unique abilities and loadouts against one another in an endlessly replayable multiplayer setting.

Following a deep dive during the May 2024 PlayStation State of Play event, we now know a great deal about the upcoming release. From its Early Access Beta to the first gameplay details, here’s the full rundown on Concord.

Contents:

• Release date
• Is Concord Free to Play?
• Platforms
• Beta
• Trailers
• Gameplay details
• Developers

Concord release date

Concord is officially set to release on Friday, August 23, 2024.

This release date was locked in as part of the full gameplay reveal during Sony’s May 2024 State of Play broadcast.

Is Concord Free to Play?

Concord is not Free to Play and instead releases as a full-price title. The game is set to release with two editions, the standard and deluxe versions, priced at $40 USD and $60 USD respectively.

However, that’s not to say there won’t still be some stripped-back F2P version made available down the line, just like we see with other hero shooters such as Overwatch 2, but we’ll just have to wait and see on that one.

Concord platforms

Concord is set to release simultaneously across both PS5 and PC. This marks just the second concurrent launch in Sony’s history following hot on the heels of the mega-popular Helldivers 2 from earlier this year, a launch that went on to shatter Sony’s player count records.

There has been no word of a PS4 release, thus, it’s safe to assume Concorn is a current-gen only title.

Concord Beta

Concord’s Beta is just around the corner, with two weekends set to give prospective players their first taste of the action.

It all kicks off with the Early Access Beta on July 12 through to July 14, before wrapping up with the Open Beta across July 18 to July 21.

Those who pre-order Concord get access to the Early Access Beta, with the Open Beta then letting anyone check things out the next week.

Concord trailers

Concord Teaser Trailer

Concord Reveal Cinematic Trailer

Concord Gameplay Trailer

Concord gameplay details

Concord is a 5v5 hero shooter at its core, offering up a range of distinct characters with their own unique abilities. While FPS fundamentals have been paramount to the dev team “from the very beginning” as they strived to “make a tight, well-balanced FPS that feels great to play,” gunskill isn’t the only thing that’ll win you games.

“Aim and thumb skill alone aren’t always enough to come out on top,” devs have teased. With a launch roster consisting of 16 characters, referred to as Freegunners, there’s already a number of game-changing abilities in focus, some may sound rather familiar.

There’s a walling-off ability, much like Mei’s in Overwatch 2, that allows you to block off a line of sight. Meanwhile, another character can generate a ‘bullet-blocking’ dome, much like Winston’s bubble in Overwatch 2. There’s even some explosive traps that Junkrat would certainly be a fan of.

Two groups of Freegunners will do battle across several unique game modes, though the exact nature of how they play out and what the objectives are remain to be seen.

Beyond moment-to-moment gameplay while out in combat, Concord is described as a live-service title that tells its story over time. New cinematics will be released on a weekly basis from launch, as devs give fans new story beats, character development, and the like, at a weekly cadence.

Concord developers

Concord is being developed by Firewalk Studios, a Washington-based dev team under the PlayStation Studios umbrella. Founded in 2018, the team has reportedly expanded to more than 100 full-time staff and is just now gearing up to release its debut project in Concord.

Studio co-founder Ryan Ellis serves as the Game Director for Concord. Ellis is best known for his seven-year tenure at Bungie, having been credited as Destiny 2’s Creative Director, while also working as Technical Art Director for the original Destiny.

Bungie just so happens to be a supporting studio for Concord. While the exact nature of the relationship is unclear, Bungie was acquired by Sony in 2022 for $3.6 billion, in large part, due to its expertise in the live-service space. So there’s every chance Bungie veterans have helped with the model for Concord’s ongoing stream of content.