By – Chad Dufall
What you need to know
Concord a PlayStation exclusive live service first person hero arena shooter, is not only a mouthful to say it’s also open to all PS+ subscribers.
The open beta weekend runs on the second weekend for PS+ members.
Early Access Running July 12th– 14th and the open beta running 18th – 21st
PlayStation is also handing out exclusive rewards for those who participate.
The beta features
- 4 Maps
- 3 Modes
- 16 Characters
- Plus, an extra map and mode on the second weekend
When Can You Play
You can preload Concord Beta from the PlayStation store Starting July 11. For PS+ members a “beta download” will appear on the 17th of July to ensure subscribers can jump straight into the action as soon as the beta is live
- Seattle: 10 AM PT on July 12/18, 2024
- New York: 1 PM EDT on July 12/18, 2024
- Sao Paulo: 2 AM BRT on July 12/18, 2024
- London: 6 AM BST on July 12/18, 2024
- Berlin: 7 PM CEST on July 12/18, 2024
- Seoul: 2 AM MST on July 13/19, 2024
- Tokyo: 2 AM JST on July 13/19, 2024
- Sydney: 3 AM AEST on July 13/19, 2024
What Do I Get?
PlayStations exclusive rewards will also be available over both weekends for those that participate in the open beta. Whilst the rewards aren’t likely to pull gamers in, the fact that there’s no commitment to buying a game that’s very likely to struggle in this free to play market makes checking it out a no brainer.
The Verdict
PlayStation opening up the beta to its PS+ subscribers is a smart move.
It isn’t THE smartest move though.
In a world where the first-person shooter genre is oversaturated with quality free to play live service, and hero shooters being an even harder genre to crack due to games like Apex Legends, releasing a full priced offering is almost like putting a tombstone directly into the ground.
Whilst I’ll most certainly be playing the beta myself it’ll have to rank somewhere in the masterpiece zone for me to shell out $70.
The buzz after the last beta is the game is actually quite fun, the combat tight and the visuals solid. I certainly hope PlayStation and Firewalk’s decision to charge for this game works and it gets the chance it deserves.