First-person shooters dominate the esports world. Overwatch, VALORANT, Apex Legends, Counter-Strike and Call of Duty are household names for avid gamers. In 2024, a new challenger joins their ranks: Firewalk Studios is releasing its debut space-themed FPS, Concord, this summer on PlayStation and PC. Let's explore everything we know about the game, its characters and its futuristic space-odyssey world.
Concord is an upcoming first-person shooter (FPS). It is the game developer Firewalk Studios' debut project. It has a science-fiction theme set in the Concord galaxy: a world of aliens, fantastic planets and superhuman enhancements. Concord utilizes a 5v5 combat format, and players act as 'Freegunners', an intergalactic mercenary group. These Freegunners travel on a ship called the Northstar, battle other Freegunner squads and compete for bounty rewards across various maps and modes.
Concord has familiar and intuitive first-person shooter mechanics but combines them with abilities that impact gameplay. For example, Freegunners may have "walls of fire", "bullet-blocking domes" or even "trash bombs". Concord promises sixteen Freegunners to choose from at release with each fitting a different playstyle. We currently know five Freegunners' identities: Vale, Haymar, Star Child, Lennox and a robot named 1-Off.
Concord will be released on PlayStation 5 and PC. Two versions are available for pre-order on the PlayStation store. Buyers can choose between the Standard Edition and Digital Deluxe Edition. The Standard Edition costs $39.99 and includes the full game for PS5. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes the full game for PS5, 16 character skins, up to 75-hour early access and the mysterious 'Monarch Pack' for $59.99.
Concord will release first as a beta. Interested players can gain beta access for themselves and four friends through pre-order. After its beta release, the game will officially be available globally on August 23rd, 2024.
Concord's Freegunners have special abilities and enhancements that make combat a unique and fun experience. Firewalk Studios states that the Freegunners vary from "powerful mystics and towering robots to skilled gunslingers and snipers" and that they "want each Freegunner’s personality and gameplay abilities to come alive in every element of how they play and the strategic considerations they create". The game will range from casual play to intense competition and encourages improvisation and skillful decision-making — the developer notes that "while our core gunplay will feel familiar to shooter fans, the versatility and variety of each Freegunner and their abilities makes it so aim and thumbskill alone aren’t always enough to come out on top".
Concord also has in-depth lore for each of its Freegunner characters. These stories unfold in weekly cinematics that players can view in-game. The Concord universe will have "regular, free post-launch updates" that constantly expand its character selection, map pool and available modes.
Only time will tell if Concord can live up to its first-person shooter predecessors and find its niche, but Firewalk Studios' gameplay teasers and concepts are promising. Stay tuned for updates as Concord releases and further information on the competitive FPS world!
GABBY DESENA
