Concord, PlayStation’s upcoming PvP hero shooter, is one step closer to releasing, with two beta periods now set for July ahead of its August 23 launch.
This will be the first time many people will get to play the game, although those who preorder it will have a bit of an advantage. The company, along with developer Firewalk Studios, announced on Thursday that the first beta period, from July 12-14, will be for those who preorder the game and up to four of their friends. This will be followed by an open beta from July 18-21. Both betas will be for PlayStation 5 and PC, and crossplay will be enabled.
It appears that most launch features and gameplay will be available during beta. Players can try out all 16 freegunners — the playable heroes — across four maps: Freewater, Water Hazard, Star Chamber, and Shock Risk. A fifth map, called Bone Mines, will be launched during the open beta weekend. In terms of gameplay, the first Concord beta will offer up three modes: Trophy Hunt (standard teamfight with respawns), Cargo Run (capture the flag with no respawns), and Clash Point (capture point with no respawns). Area Control, a mode where you have to control multiple zones, will be added during the open beta.
Concord will be the next test for PlayStation’s live-service and PC strategies — a 5v5 hero shooter where players can choose among over a dozen freegunners, each with their own skills and weapons. The company hit big with Helldivers 2, which launched for $40 simultaneously on PC and PlayStation 5 with optional microtransactions. Concord is following the same launch timeline and pricing.
Only time will tell though if the hero shooter genre still has momentum after Overwatch dominated it for so long. Concord has a lot going against it, with a poorly-received reveal thanks to a cinematic trailer — Firewalk confirmed the game will feature cinematics during its beta periods.
