With Overwatch receiving lots of criticism since the launch of the (sort of) sequel, fans of the hero shooter genre are looking for an alternative to come along and steal the spotlight. From what I've seen of the early gameplay footage, Sony published PS5 and PC exclusive Concord might just have the chops to fill this particular void. While the game has looked impressive in trailer form, the upcoming beta tests will give fans a proper look at the game that could give Overwatch 2 a real run for its money. If you're looking to check out Concord and see what the fuss is about, then developer Firewalk Studios is holding two beta tests over the next fortnight, beginning with the early access beta, which has a July 12 release date on PC and PS5. The early access Concord beta will run from 6pm BST UK time on July 12 until the same time on Sunday, July 14.

Unfortunately, however, there are a few restrictions when it comes to participating in this weekend's early access beta.

If you want to play on PS5 and PC, then you're going to have to pre-order any version of the game from either the PlayStation Store or Steam.

The Standard Edition costs £34.99, while the Digital Deluxe Edition (which comes with various skins and other bonuses) can be pre-ordered for £49.99.

There is, however, a way you can play the early access beta for free, because Sony has since announced that the upcoming beta will be available at no additional cost for PS Plus subscribers.

As an added bonus, Sony is giving fans the chance to pre-load the beta ahead of launch, which means you can jump into the action the moment the servers go live.

PS5 and PC pre-loading will be available from 6pm BST UK time on the afternoon of July 11.

If you're not subscribed to PS Plus and haven't pre-ordered a copy of the game, then you can play the Concord open beta from July 18 until July 21.

The beta weekends are definitely worth checking out, because Sony is giving players the chance to try all of the 16 characters that will be available at launch.

The action will, however, be limited to four different maps, including Freewater, Star Chamber, Water Hazard and Shock Risk.

The maps will support three different game modes during the early access beta, such as Cargo Run, Clash Point and Trophy Hunt.

You can check out the Concord gameplay trailer below.

The second beta weekend, which is open to all players, will introduce an additional map and game mode. That's on top of all the content from the early access beta.

Running from July 18 until July 21, fans will be able to check out the Bone Mines map, as well as the Area Control game mode.

As an added incentive to try out the betas, Firewalk is giving players the chance to unlock a couple of rewards, which can be claimed at launch.

There's the Lil' Frog weapon charm, as well as the Stare Flare Icon and Business card. Players will receive the rewards simply for participating, and without having to reach a certain level.

If you're playing on PC, the Concord developers recommend a minimum of an Intel Core i7-8700KAMD or Ryzen 7 2700X CPU, with 8GB DDR4, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 6GB or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT graphics card, and at least 30GB of SSD storage.

The full game will be available for PC and PS5 on August 23, or August 20 if you purchase the Deluxe Edition.