Highlights
- Concord, a new sci-fi FPS by Firewalk Studios, may require a PlayStation Network account to play on PC, limiting accessibility.
- Sony's recent decisions to mandate PSN linked accounts for PC games may hinder Concord's success globally.
- The controversial requirement has already affected games like Helldivers 2, causing fan outrage and widespread review bombing.
According to a reputable leaker, Firewalk Studios' Concord will require a PlayStation Network account to play on PC, rendering it unplayable in a long list of countries. Playstation recently unveiled lots of details about Concord in its May State of Play, including some snippets of gameplay and a release date.
Concord is a 5v5 hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios. The game was first announced to be in development in 2021 as a live-service sci-fi FPS. Two years later, PlayStation acquired Firewalk Studios and formally revealed Concord by way of a CGI trailer at its 2023 Showcase. Most recently, PlayStation showed off Concord gameplay at its recent State of Play presentation and confirmed that the first-party shooter will release on August 23, with a beta coming in July.
Concord Looks Like Overwatch Meets Guardians of the Galaxy, and You Can Play It Sooner Than Expected
PlayStation fully reveals gameplay of Firewalk Studios' upcoming live-service shooter Concord, as well as a not-too-distant release date.
In accordance with Sony's recent affirmation about releasing live-service PlayStation titles day one on PC, Concord will indeed launch on both PS5 and PC simultaneously. However, credible leaker known as billbil-kun, writing for Dealabs, claims that Concord will require PC players to link a PlayStation Network account to access the game on the platform. Since PSN isn't available in over 170 countries worldwide, billbil-kun says that Concord won't be sold on PC storefronts in those regions at all, rendering it unplayable for many who are interested in the game.
The PSN Mandate Writing Has Been on the Wall for Some Time
Sony's insistence on PC players linking a PSN account to access PlayStation first-party titles on the platform isn't new, of course. Arrowhead's smash-hit co-op shooter Helldivers 2 was the subject of controversy in early May, when it was subjected to widespread review bombing and fan outrage upon the announcement that a PSN account would be required to play the game. Helldivers 2 was even delisted in 177 regions globally where PSN isn't supported. Sony eventually backtracked on the decision but clarified that going forward, PlayStation games on PC will require PSN accounts to be linked.
The primary cause of concern behind the Helldivers 2 controversy was Sony's practice of selling the game in those 177 regions, knowing that it would eventually enforce the PSN login requirement in the near future, which would unfairly lock out players in those regions who paid full price for the game. While the mandate was waived for Helldivers 2, subsequent PC ports such as Ghost of Tsushima and God of War Ragnarok do require PSN accounts and aren't being sold in those unsupported regions. Concord will seemingly follow the same path, which could significantly hamper its reach and success worldwide.
