After what can only be described as an absolute disaster of an open beta, most players and critics have come to the conclusion that Concord will most certainly be dead on arrival or, at the very least, face one of the rockiest launches in recent memory.
Despite all the negativity, there is a beacon of hope for it after all. With the developers’ recent answers surrounding Concord’s battle pass plans, the game may just survive with a larger player base than what the recent betas have reflected.
Firewalk Studios Confirms Concord Will Launch Without Any Battle Passes
After players finally got their hands on Concord, the general consensus on the game was a mixed one. Despite the solid game design foundations, most agree that Sony and the developers should delay the game to flesh out the overall experience and rework the pricing model.
In spite of the odds, Firewalk Studios, however, seems steadfast in its approach to the release and is confident that it will succeed. Perhaps to ensure this, they recently made the pleasantly surprising announcement that the game will not rely on a battle pass for progression, drawing a lot of attention back to the game.
No Battle Pass, folks. You own Concord, Concord doesn't own you. https://t.co/lZ3Zkv2THD
— Mark DeRidder (@markderidder) July 24, 2024
It seems the reveal has come at just the right time. Considering how low people’s confidence is in this game after its poor performance in terms of sheer player numbers, Firewalk’s focus on providing Concord‘s DLCs or post-launch content for free may save it from an early demise.
At the same time, it’s difficult not to feel a sense of worry building over this. Not every live service game can pull a “No Man’s Sky” and rely solely on the game’s purchase and in-game cosmetics to support itself. That said, one cannot help but feel that the game’s future is still a fog-shrouded mystery, with neither success nor a complete failure in sight.
Concord Certainly Deserves Success, but the Odds Are Stacked Against It
Love or hate the game’s presentation, but it’s difficult to deny that Concord is still a very competently crafted hero shooter with only a few questionable game-design decisions holding it down.
With excellent gunplay, balanced dynamics, unparalleled sound design, and, of course, the lack of aggressive monetization, there’s undoubtedly a lot to like about this game.
The problem, however, is that it is launching in an age oversaturated with games like it and with a hefty barrier to entry, all thanks to it not being a free-to-play title. Not to mention, Sony‘s lack of push for the game makes it seem as though they wouldn’t mind seeing it end up as a liability on their balance sheet either.
So, with all the odds stacked against the game, it will certainly be interesting to see what ends up happening with the game once it inevitably launches next month.
With that said, what are your thoughts on Concord excluding all battle pass systems? Did you give the game a try in the recent beta? Let us know your thoughts below!
