Concord Developer Encourages Support for Marathon Despite Setbacks

Bungie’s recent stream showcasing early gameplay of their first-person extraction shooter, Marathon, stirred some skepticism among social media users and Redditors alike. Many drew parallels to the ill-fated Concord, a hero shooter from Sony that was pulled offline shortly after its debut. In defense of Marathon, an ex-Concord developer reached out through the game’s subreddit, urging folks to withhold judgment and give the game a fair shot.

The developer, posting under the handle MrSpug, openly acknowledged the criticisms Concord faced. “Concord failed to inspire players, and we got that message loud and clear,” they said. The unfolding drama of their project’s downfall was both devastating and subjected them to ridicule in online circles.

After Sony shut down Firewalk Studios a few months post-Concord’s removal, the developer expressed empathy for the team at Bungie. They admired the courage required to dive into such a fiercely competitive market with a project like Marathon.

Reflecting on their time with Concord, the developer shared, “I poured my heart into the project. We fell short, but it’s unfair to hold other games accountable for our missteps.”

Despite Marathon and Concord being different games, they share the same publisher—Sony. A major conversation piece from the Marathon stream was Bungie’s choice to not adopt a free-to-play model. Similar to Concord, Marathon’s price tag is projected to be lower than most new releases, with hints suggesting a price under a typical “full-priced” game, likely around $40 when it rolls out in September. This pricing decision has sparked concerns over whether Marathon might encounter a fate akin to Concord’s.

In a follow-up reply on their post, the former Concord developer candidly mentioned, “I didn’t aim to become ‘that’ developer, acting as if I hold a stake in this, but labeling a game as a failure before its release is baffling to me.”

By engaging with the community, this developer hopes to sway the tide of opinion, advocating for an open-minded reception of Marathon once it officially hits the market.