Sony has taken action against YouTube videos showing Concord running on fan-made servers, raising concerns about the company’s commitment to blocking community efforts to revive the game.
Concord launched in August 2024 as part of Sony’s major push into live-service games. Unfortunately, it struggled to attract players and was offline within weeks, leading to refunds and the game’s eventual closure. The studio behind it, Firewalk Studios, also closed shortly after.
Recently, a small group of developers managed to get Concord back up and running on custom servers. They dedicated months to reverse engineering and rebuilding the game’s backend. For the first time, fans could see characters load and matches play out.
However, Sony wasn’t pleased. Shortly after the revival gained traction, two main gameplay videos from the developers faced DMCA takedowns. These notices came from MarkScan, a firm that handles copyright issues for Sony. This firm has a history of enforcing copyright laws for various Sony projects, including earlier game mods and footage removals.
Currently, the focus is on YouTube videos rather than the custom servers themselves. Red, one of the developers, recently updated the community in their Discord channel, saying they’ve paused invites due to potential legal issues. Importantly, they have not received any direct DMCA notice regarding the custom servers themselves.
This rapid response from Sony has sparked discussions about player rights and the future of older live-service games. Some players celebrate community efforts to bring back beloved titles, while others argue that publishers have the right to protect their intellectual property. According to a recent survey by the Entertainment Software Association, nearly 70% of gamers feel that fan-made content should be encouraged instead of blocked. As these conversations heat up, it’s clear that both the game community and companies like Sony will need to find common ground.
What are your thoughts on Sony’s quick intervention? Should older games have a second chance through community efforts? Feel free to share your opinions!
