During Bungie’s recent stream showcasing early glimpses of their first-person extraction shooter, Marathon, the reactions online were mixed. Many on social media and platforms like Reddit expressed skepticism, predicting it might echo the experience of Concord, a game that Sony discontinued shortly after its launch. Feeling the need to defend the new project, a former developer of Concord took to the Marathon subreddit, urging players to give it a fair shot.
“Concord, unfortunately, didn’t connect with players, and the feedback was crystal clear,” shared the developer, who uses the Reddit alias MrSpug. “Watching our efforts fall flat and become the butt of many jokes online was heartbreaking.”
This developer, who previously worked with Firewalk Studios before Sony decided to pull the plug on it, related deeply to the challenges faced by the team at Bungie. They praised the developers for venturing into such a fierce market, acknowledging the passion and hard work poured into Marathon.
Reflecting on their own experience, they said, “I was part of Concord’s journey and gave it my all. We didn’t hit the mark, but I urge everyone not to make Bungie bear the burden of our past errors.”
While Concord and Marathon differ in gameplay, both share a common publisher, Sony. Post-stream criticism has been aimed at Bungie’s choice not to offer Marathon as a free-to-play game. Instead, it’s poised to launch at a price lower than most new releases, likely around $40, yet some worry this might lead it down the same path as Concord.
In a follow-up to their original post, the ex-Concord developer added, “I hesitated to draw attention to myself, as if I hold any stake here. But labeling this game a failure before it even hits shelves is beyond my understanding.”
