Former Concord developer asks for empathy in the face of criticism of Bungie's new Marathon

In the world of games, it is common for titles in development to be targets of comparisons - and unfortunately, also of premature judgment. That's exactly what started happening with Marathon, the new project from Bungie, even before its release. And, amidst a rain of negative comments, a former developer from Concord decided to speak up and ask for more empathy from the gaming community.

Marathon, which gained prominence over the last weekend with a presentation revealing its release date for September 23, 2025, quickly started being compared to the failed Concord, a live-service game from Firewalk Studios that was shut down just two weeks after its debut, due to poor sales and low player engagement. For many, Bungie's new endeavor would be the "next Sony flop." But not everyone sees it that way.

A former artist and developer from Concord, who preferred to remain anonymous, posted a heartfelt message on Reddit, lamenting the online hostility and asking players not to repeat the same attacks with the Marathon team:

"Many players know what happened with Concord. The project failed to inspire and the message was received loud and clear," he wrote.
"It was devastating to see our project fail and become a laughingstock. No one feels as bad as those who put time and passion into something that should entertain the whole world. I'm not asking for pity or sympathy, because that's the game: you win or lose. And the margin for success is minimal. I took a risk, and lost."

Despite the criticisms, the developer expressed hope for the future of Bungie's project:

"Seeing the developers' faces on the Bungie stream gave me hope and excitement for Marathon. I applaud them for taking risks, trying something new, with no guarantees."

And concluded with a sincere plea:

"I worked on Concord and did my best. We fell short. Please don't punish others for our mistakes. We are all human beings trying to create something special. And Marathon is no different. Be kind, be cool. Video games should be fun."

Concord, it is worth remembering, was one of Sony's bets after acquiring Bungie for US$ 3.6 billion in 2022, as part of the strategy to strengthen the live-service game portfolio. The game, developed by Firewalk Studios, went offline in less than a month, being officially discontinued right after the studio's closure in September 2024. The reason, according to Sony's own statement, was simple:

"Our initial release did not meet expectations."

Now, all eyes are on Marathon, a reboot of one of Bungie's classic franchises, aiming to combine tactical first-person shooting with extraction mechanics and strong multiplayer appeal. The game is being positioned as Sony's next big hit, especially after the resounding success of Helldivers 2, which became the fastest-selling game in the brand's history.

So far, some good news has been confirmed for PC and Xbox players: Marathon will not require a PlayStation Network account to play online, breaking the controversial pattern that generated criticism at the launch of Helldivers 2.

Expectations are high, the pressure is on. But perhaps, as the former Concord dev said, it's time to give a chance - and remember that behind every game, there are people trying to make something amazing happen.