Firewalk Studios, a subsidiary of PlayStation Studios, provided a number of new details about their upcoming 5v5 multiplayer shooter Concord during a PlayStation State of Play presentation. It did not go well as gamers are raking the game over the coals for including pronouns, DEI character designs, and being a ripoff of Overwatch.
A screenshot from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
After showing off some of the gameplay, Firewalk Studios’ Kim Kreines, who is the Director of IP, revealed a number of the characters that includes 1-Off, Vale, Lennox, and more. Each of the characters that she shows off features the character’s name, its role, and then their preferred pronouns.
A screenshot of the character 1-Off from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
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One of the character’s named Lark has “undecided” in the location where the other character’s “preferred pronouns” are.
A screenshot of the character 1-Off from Concord (2024), Firewalk Studios
It’s highly likely the game will explore progressive themes as well given Kreines explains, “Every character brings their own unique personality, skills, and wide-ranging perspectives to the crew.”
She also details, “Every week when you log in to Concord, you will be welcomed with a new cinematic vignette that will give you a chance to see our characters off the job. They will feature ongoing narrative arcs that grow the character’s stories and relationships and unpack the broader Concord galaxy.”
Brazilian gamer KabrutusRambo, who created the Sweet Baby Inc. Detected Steam curator list and Deidetected.com, reacted to the listed pronouns writing on X, “so the F** ROBOT has pronouns in the next Sony game. ok.”
so the F** ROBOT has pronouns in the next Sony game.
ok. pic.twitter.com/B3OLPfpIG0
— Kabrutus (@kabrutusrambo) May 31, 2024
X user Mangalawyer roasted the character design of Emari. He wrote on X, “Omg finally literally a Playable Tank!”
Omg finally literally a Playable Tank! 😆 pic.twitter.com/llhbcKzbsj
— LearningTheLaw (@Mangalawyer) May 31, 2024
YouTuber Endymion reacted writing, “PlayStation’s new hero 5V5 PVP Shooter Concord is full of diverse character designs & they even have their pronouns listed below their name ( see top right ) Who is this game for exactly?”
PlayStation’s new hero 5V5 PVP Shooter Concord is full of diverse character designs & they even have their pronouns listed below their name ( see top right )
Who is this game for exactly? https://t.co/XEMQFNMxQ5
— Endymion (@EndymionYT) May 31, 2024
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The top comments on the State of Play video on YouTube make it clear gamers are not interested in another Overwatch or Valorant clone from PlayStation Studios.
One wrote, “PlayStation should honestly just stop working on live service games.”
Another posted, “Concord cinematic was giving me Guardians of the Galaxy vibes, until they show it’s a 5×5 shooter and all my interest went way :(”
A screenshot of the top comments from State of Play | May 30, 2024 via PlayStation YouTube
Another person wrote, “Concord looks exactly like the kind of game I will never play.”
Still another posted, “Sony understand: we want games focused on single player narrative and not multiplayer service games.
Another bemoaned, “Concord = Valorant = Overwatch. Nothing new here.”
A screenshot of the top comments from State of Play | May 30, 2024 via PlayStation YouTube
Another wrote, “Concord, a game nobody asked for and nobody will play 6 months post launch.”
“Anytime someone mentions 5v5, live service or battle pass, it’s already a bad sign,” reads another top comment.
Still another posted, “Why does the common sentiment held by many studios nowadays seem to be ‘we need more overwatch clones.'”
“Y’all spent an unnecessary amount of time promoting Concord,” said one person.
A screenshot of the top comments from State of Play | May 30, 2024 via PlayStation YouTube
Others continued to lampoon the game. One wrote, “We want single player games with decent graphics and amazing narratives and gameplay. Open sourced engines for moding. Take risks like your predecessors. Actually innovate instead of rehashing boring styles. We want to play finished games with no need for DLCs and definitely NO MICROTRANSACTIONS!!”
“That Concord cinematic was so bad I’m never touching that game,” posted another.
“Dear Sony, the games-as-service model is not sustainable,” said one poster. “We don’t want 20 of them every announcement showcase. Can’t you drop at least 1 or 2 quality single player experiences this gen? Tent pole experiences, like you used to be known for?”
Another simply said, “100% not interested in Concord.”
A screenshot of the top comments from State of Play | May 30, 2024 via PlayStation YouTube
Despite this negative feedback, PlayStation Studios and Firewalk Studios plans to release the game globally on PlayStation 5 and PC on August 23, 2024.
What do you make of gamers roasting Concord?
This is what happens when you hire activists in leadership positions, the game will suck from top to bottom. At least they had the courtesy to show off their DEI messaging so people know to avoid it and not bother even downloading it.
I expect this year will be a bomb after bomb in AAA gaming, all the DEI games made through the pandemic are about to be revelead and it’ll be a bloodbath.
Glad there’s the sentiment that overwatch and it’s clones suck
[…] propelling the PlayStation brand into the future. Rather than focus on fun gameplay, “Concord” forced preferred pronouns and “DEI character designs” onto players. The new “DEI character […]
[…] propelling the PlayStation brand into the future. Rather than focus on fun gameplay, “Concord” forced preferred pronouns and “DEI character designs” onto players. The new “DEI character […]
[…] the PlayStation brand into the future. Rather than focus on fun gameplay, “Concord” forced preferred pronouns and “DEI character designs” onto players. The new “DEI […]