During Bungie’s recent unveiling of its early footage for the upcoming first-person extraction shooter, Marathon, the response across social media and Reddit was mixed. Many expressed doubts, drawing parallels to Concord—a hero shooter published by Sony that was pulled offline less than a month post-launch. Amid this skepticism, an ex-developer from Concord has stepped into the Marathon subreddit with a plea for patience and open-mindedness.
In a heartfelt post under the Reddit handle MrSpug, the developer shared their thoughts, “Concord didn’t resonate with players, and that feedback hit us hard,” they reflected. “Watching our project struggle and become a source of ridicule online was painful.”
Having been part of Firewalk Studios—until Sony closed its doors months after Concord’s removal—the developer expressed empathy for the Bungie team. They appreciated the ambition and effort behind Marathon, acknowledging the steep challenge of standing out in such a cutthroat genre.
“I poured everything I had into Concord,” they admitted, hopeful that past pitfalls wouldn’t doom future endeavors. “We missed the mark, but don’t let our failures unfairly limit others.”
Despite Concord and Marathon being different in nature, both find a common thread in their connection to Sony. Observers from the Marathon stream voiced concerns, especially regarding Bungie’s decision to sell the game at a price rather than going free-to-play. In an apparent bid to offer a more budget-friendly option, Bungie suggested that Marathon would cost less than a typical full-price game, potentially around $40 when it launches in September. Some worry this pricing strategy might echo Concord’s downfall.
In a follow-up comment, the former Concord developer elaborated, “I wasn’t keen on stepping into the spotlight as if I’m backing a competitor,” they confessed. “But labeling Marathon a failure before it even hits the shelves seems premature to me.”
