Summary
According to a reputable leaker, Firewalk Studios’Concordwill require a PlayStation Network account to play on PC, rendering it unplayable in a long list of countries. Playstation recently unveiled lots of details aboutConcordin its May State of Play, including some snippets of gameplay and a release date.
Concordis a 5v5 hero shooter developed by Firewalk Studios. The game was first announced to be in development in 2021 as a live-service sci-fi FPS. Two years later,PlayStation acquired Firewalk Studiosand formally revealedConcordby way of a CGI trailer at its 2023 Showcase. Most recently, PlayStation showed offConcordgameplay at its recent State of Play presentation and confirmed that the first-party shooter will release on August 23, with a beta coming in July.
In accordance with Sony’s recent affirmation aboutreleasing live-service PlayStation titles day one on PC,Concordwill indeed launch on both PS5 and PC simultaneously. However, credibleleaker known as billbil-kun, writing for Dealabs, claims thatConcordwill require PC players to link a PlayStation Network account to access the game on the platform. Since PSN isn’t available in over 170 countries worldwide, billbil-kun says thatConcordwon’t be sold on PC storefronts in those regions at all, rendering it unplayable for many who are interested in the game.
The PSN Mandate Writing Has Been on the Wall for Some Time
Sony’s insistence on PC players linking a PSN account to access PlayStation first-party titles on the platform isn’t new, of course. Arrowhead’s smash-hit co-op shooterHelldivers 2was the subject of controversy in early May, when it was subjected to widespread review bombing and fan outrage upon the announcement that a PSN account would be required to play the game.Helldivers 2was even delisted in 177 regionsglobally where PSN isn’t supported. Sony eventually backtracked on the decision but clarified that going forward, PlayStation games on PC will require PSN accounts to be linked.
The primary cause of concern behind theHelldivers 2controversy was Sony’s practice of selling the game in those 177 regions, knowing that it would eventually enforce the PSN login requirement in the near future, which would unfairly lock out players in those regions who paid full price for the game. While the mandate was waived forHelldivers 2, subsequent PC ports such asGhost of TsushimaandGod of War Ragnarokdo require PSN accountsand aren’t being sold in those unsupported regions.Concordwill seemingly follow the same path, which could significantly hamper its reach and success worldwide.
