Summary
- PS5 exclusive game Concord is performing worse than Xbox flop Redfall, with abysmal player counts on Steam.
- Concord struggles due to genre saturation, poor character designs, high price, and lack of interest.
- Potential for Concord comeback includes going free-to-play, better character designs, and PS Plus giveaway.
PS5 console exclusive game Concord is performing worse than Redfall, an Xbox console exclusive that was one of 2023's biggest flops. Concord is a newly-released live-service hero shooter game that has been met with considerable backlash ever since it was first announced. With the hero shooter genre becoming increasingly cramped, many fans expressed their annoyance that Sony decided to make one instead of another single-player blockbuster that it's known for. That, combined with Concord's unappealing character designs and $40 price tag, have spelled disaster for the game.
Unfortunately for Sony and developer Firewalk Studios, Concord is struggling big time on Steam. Concord's Steam player count peaked at 697 players, with only 97 people playing the game on PC at the time of this writing. These are absolutely abysmal numbers for a new video game release and doesn't bode well for Concord's future, though there's always the chance that the game could mount a comeback somehow.
Concord requires a PlayStation Network account on Steam, which may also be keeping PC gamers from trying the game.
Time will tell if Concord is ever able to reverse its misfortunes and build an audience, but to put in perspective just how dire its situation is, it's performing worse than Redfall. Redfall is a co-op vampire FPS that was once hyped as a big Xbox console exclusive release for 2023. Redfall released to negative reviews from critics and, like Concord, struggled to drum up much interest. However, there were definitely a lot more people playing Redfall at it launch than there has been playing Concord. Redfall Steam player count peaked at 6,124 players, with 20 currently in the game on PC right now. This is especially impressive for Redfall considering it was a day one Xbox Game Pass game, meaning at least 6,124 people on Steam bought it to play.
Concord Steam Player Count vs. Redfall Steam Player Count
It's true that we do not have PS5 player counts for Concord, but there have already been times when it's been somewhat difficult to get into the non-Team Deathmatch/Kill Confirmed playlists, which is not normal since the game just recently launched. But unless Concord's PS5 player count is somehow significantly larger than Redfall's, it's clear that Sony's new PS5 console exclusive hero shooter is doing worse than Redfall. There are plans to support Concord with seasonal content updates that will introduce new heroes, but it remains to be seen if those promises will be fulfilled. While Redfall did receive some important post-launch updates, its grander plans were ultimately scrapped and, unfortunately, developer Arkane Austin was eventually shut down by Microsoft.
Personally, I like Concord in terms of its core gameplay, and so I hope it's somehow able to avoid suffering a similar fate as Redfall. And while Redfall beat Concord's player count at launch, the latter has been better-received by those that have played it.
Concord Reviews vs. Redfall Reviews
As revealed by review aggregate site OpenCritic, Concord reviews have given the game a 65 overall rating with 21% of critics recommending it. Redfall has a 57 rating with 14% of critics recommending it. Now, it's worth pointing out that Concord has only logged 30 critic reviews versus Redfall's 138, so it's entirely possible that its overall score will change. However, the consensus of the reviews is that Concord is a technically well-made game with solid FPS action, but it suffers from a lack of content, a lack of player interest, and horrendous character designs. Redfall, meanwhile, was panned by critics for being a technical mess at launch.
Concord's First-Party Budget Is Clear as Day
Concord has some stiff competition in the hero shooter genre, but its place as a first-party PlayStation game does give it the edge in a few key ways.
User reviews paint a similar picture. Redfall's recent reviews on Steam are Mixed while its overall rating is Mostly Negative. Concord, meanwhile, released to Positive reviews on Steam, which was then bumped up to Mostly Positive as more reviews were counted. Concord's dwindling player count seems to be fueling its lower Steam scores as of late. Redfall's Metacritic user score is 3.5, while Concord's is a shockingly low 2.0, though that's because the latter is being targeted by review bombers who are rating it not because of its actual gameplay, but what they perceive to be its politics.
Will Concord Bounce Back?
There have been all kinds of video game comeback stories over the years. No Man's Sky released to outrage as many fans realized it simply failed to deliver on its promises, but it has since become one of the survival genre's biggest hits. Cyberpunk 2077 was a disaster at launch for console players, but it's now considered one of the best action-RPGs ever made. There is precedent for Concord to turn things around, but the odds are certainly against it. Concord is a multiplayer-only live-service shooter game, which means that if its audience dwindles from the outset, it becomes next to impossible to justify supporting it with updates for any serious length of time.
That doesn't mean a potential Concord comeback is impossible, though. Concord going free-to-play could be huge for the game. It's true that Concord's free beta didn't attract many players, but still, going free-to-play would put it on an even playing ground with its competitors, which are all free. And even if Concord doesn't go completely free-to-play, maybe it could be given away as one of the free PS Plus games one month as a way to boost its player count. New characters with more appealing designs could also go a long way in making Concord more interesting to the masses. Time will tell, but it's clear that if Sony doesn't do something about the game's low and dwindling player count, Concord is going to go down as one of the company's biggest failures.
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.
Source: Steam DB (1, 2), OpenCritic (1, 2), Metacritic (1, 2)