Concord devs defend PSN requirement after Helldivers 2 backlash: 'The goal is for players to come together'

Sony is expanding its PlayStation Network offerings on PC, with some games requiring players to sign up for an account for cross-play and cross-progression, such as Concord, while others like Ghost of Tsushima only require it for online mode.

Sony is rapidly expanding its offerings on PC, and part of that push is an effort to get more players signed up for PlayStation Network. Helldivers 2 walked back its post-launch plans for a PSN requirement, but Concord - the upcoming 5v5 FPS from a team of Destiny veterans - aims to make PC players sign up with PSN from the start.

According to the devs, Concord's PSN requirement on PC is how features like cross-play and cross-progression can be implemented. "The goal is for players to come together," lead character designer Jon Weisnewski tells Eurogamer. "And so for us to have PC players and PlayStation 5 players together, for that cross-play and cross-progression to work, that's a layer that needs to be there - just on a technical level. So the goal is we want to get players together, to have fun and play together, this is part of that experience."

Sony-published PlayStation games have taken a wide array of approaches to PSN following the intense backlash over Helldivers 2. Last month, Ghost of Tsushima hit PC with a PSN requirement for its online mode, but no requirement to sign up for an account if you want to play solo. But despite being a single-player only game, the upcoming PC version of God of War Ragnarok is apparently set to require PSN if you want to play at all.

As for Concord, the FPS game's proper unveiling last month met with a mixed reception from a gaming audience fatigued by live service games, but the shooter has plenty of pedigree and potential. A beta is set to kick off in July ahead of the full launch on August 23.

Check out a whole lot more upcoming PC games.