The gaming community has been buzzing with discussions surrounding the upcoming release of Concord, a highly woke AAA hero shooter. Unfortunately, the feedback from both closed and open beta tests has been far from positive. The game has not only faced underwhelming reviews but has also been subjected to a wave of review-bombing, casting a shadow over its future success.
A Disappointing Beta Experience
The closed beta for Concord was met with high expectations. Players were eager to dive into the game and explore its mechanics, heroes, and overall gameplay experience. However, the reality fell short of the hype. Many beta testers reported a lack of innovation, citing that the game felt too similar to existing titles in the genre. The feedback highlighted issues with game balance, unresponsive controls, and uninspiring character designs.
When the open beta was released, there was hope that the developers had addressed the issues raised during the closed beta. Unfortunately, this was not the case. The open beta mirrored the closed beta’s problems, and in some instances, new issues emerged. The game struggled with server stability, leading to frequent disconnects and lag, further frustrating the player base.
The Steam Wishlist Nightmare, or Concord just Literally Targeting Their “Spesific” Audiences?
One of the most telling indicators of a game’s anticipated success is its position on the Steam Wishlist. For Concord, the situation is dire. The game currently sits at a dismal #782 on the Steam Wishlist page. This ranking is alarming for a AAA title, especially one from a well-known developer. To put this into perspective, even games without an announced release date have garnered more interest from the Steam community.
The disparity becomes even more pronounced when comparing Concord to its direct competitor, Marvel Rivals. Despite facing its own set of challenges and initial skepticism, Marvel Rivals has managed to secure the #13 spot on the Steam Wishlist. This stark contrast highlights the uphill battle Concord faces in capturing and retaining player interest. To added more contrast reality, Marvel Rivals reached 52K players in just one day and having 32k peak player in 24h, showing promise for a major release.
Judging by Concord’s performance before the release date, it is safe to assume that Sony and Firewalk are lowkey targeting the specific audience for their game. It is literally not for most of gamers.
Can Concord Recover?
Despite all the wokeness and DEI agenda on every aspect in the game, Concord offered something different.
Firewalk Studios is taking a different route. Through a series of social media posts, the developers have confirmed that Concord will not include a battle pass. Instead, the focus will be on creating a rewarding and robust experience from day one. According to Firewalk Studios, just playing the game, leveling up accounts and characters, and completing in-game jobs will yield meaningful rewards.
Mark DeRidder, Concord’s gameplay animation director, emphasized this point in a separate post, stating, “No Battle Pass, folks. You own Concord, Concord doesn’t own you.”