Sony’s latest big video game, Concord, launched last week on PS5 and PC. While the online shooter is enjoyable and visually stunning, it appears that very few players are engaging with it based on some troubling statistics.
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Concord was first announced last year with a brief teaser, followed by a formal reveal in May through a CG trailer that received mixed reviews and a promising gameplay video. This sci-fi PVP online-only FPS comes with a price tag of $40, and when I participated in the game’s beta in July, I had concerns about its competitiveness in a crowded market. Now, the available data suggests that Concord may be one of the biggest disappointments of 2024.
Similar to PlayStation-published co-op shooter Helldivers 2, Concord was released on PC via Steam and PS5. Checking Steam.db, a third-party site that tracks player numbers, reveals some concerning figures.
Barely anyone is playing Sony’s new FPS on Steam
As of August 26, Concord has not exceeded 1,000 concurrent players on Steam. Since its recent launch on Steam, the highest recorded number of simultaneous players enjoying Concord stands at 697. In contrast, Helldivers 2 maintains an average of approximately 18,000 active players daily, peaking at 450,000 players. Meanwhile, Valve’s unreleased or incomplete shooter, Deadlock, already boasts over 80,000 players.
While some mistakenly believe that a high player count is the sole measure of a game’s success, the numbers are crucial for an online multiplayer shooter centered around engaging with others.
Obtaining data on PS5 proves more challenging as Sony does not disclose player numbers publicly. However, examining the list of top sellers on PlayStation’s official website reveals that Concord currently ranks as the 37th best-selling game on PSN.
While this performance might be acceptable for a random third-party online shooter from a smaller publisher, it is disappointing for the latest exclusive PlayStation game. Concord fails to resonate with players in the same way as Sony’s flagship titles like God of War and The Last of Us.
What lies ahead for Concord is uncertain. It is likely that we will see free weekends for the game soon to attract more players. However, Sony may need to reconsider its pricing strategy, potentially relaunching Concord as a free-to-play title or offering it to all PS Plus subscribers for a limited time to salvage its player base.
Otherwise, in a matter of weeks, only the most dedicated fans may continue playing Concord across any platform.
Credit: kotaku.com
