Sony's recent State of Play was filled with some great updates, but one of the biggest surprises was found in Concord, the upcoming 5v5 first-person shooter from Firewalk Studios. As the studio's first original AAA game, Concord looks to be an exciting blend of high-energy sci-fi action and in-depth character-focused storylines.

Because of the 5v5 hero shooter gameplay, Concord is clearly taking inspiration from Overwatch 2, but the game also appears to draw influence from the likes of huge sci-fi franchises, like Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy. This combination of major franchises may cause one to take a step back at first, but thanks to footage revealed at the State of Play event, the three properties seem to mesh quite well.

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Concord Puts a New Spin on the 5v5 Shooter Genre

When looking at 5v5 hero shooters, it's clear that Overwatch 2 is one of the biggest games to be released under that umbrella. However, Concord looks like it could be a pretty solid contender. Not only did Firewalk Studios offer a witty cinematic trailer for Concord, but gameplay footage was also revealed, and it promises plenty of action and unique characters.

How Overwatch 2 Influences Concord

The biggest similarity between Concord and Overwatch 2 is the fact that both games are 5v5 first-person hero shooters. From the get-go, it's clear that Concord is heavily focused on fleshing out its characters through weekly stories and giving each one their own unique personality and specialties. Overwatch 2 has become known for its characters since the game was first launched, and Concord is following in that game's footsteps with its own strong character focus. However, it seems to be taking the storytelling of these characters even further through its plans for regular cinematics.

How Star Wars Influences Concord

The Star Wars influence isn't as noticeable at first when looking at the released Concord footage, but after analyzing the architecture of the game, it quickly becomes clear. The world of Star Wars has a variety of different features that set the franchise apart, but a lot of the essence of the iconic series is found in the architecture and locations. Although the official gameplay footage of Concord is less than five minutes long, many of the maps showcased look like they could easily be seen in a Star Wars game.

Concord will be available for pre-order on PS5 and PC starting June 6, with the game launching on August 23.

How Guardians of the Galaxy Influences Concord

Concord wears a lot of its influence on its sleeve, but especially when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy. Just the mere concept of Freegunners, space outlaws trying to pave their own way in the titular galaxy, sounds like it was taken straight from a Guardians of the Galaxy comic. Another way the Guardians of the Galaxy influence is shown is in the character dynamics. The banter between Lennox and Haymar is incredibly reminiscent of Star-Lord and Gamora.

Guardians of the Galaxy seems to be the biggest source of inspiration overall when it comes to the game's general vibe, and that seems pretty perfect for a character-focused shooter. As more information starts to trickle out about Concord, it will be interesting to see just how much more the game has to offer.