Fan-Made Concord Servers Face Legal Trouble
▼ Summary
– A group of coders partially revived online gameplay for the PC version of Concord by reverse-engineering its server API.
– The fan server project, called “Concord Delta,” is now closing off new access after Sony issued DMCA takedown requests for gameplay videos.
– The revived gameplay is described as playable but buggy and requires a legitimate, hard-to-find PC copy of the game.
– Concord sold only about 25,000 copies across PC and PS5 before being shut down, with some players receiving refunds.
– Sample gameplay videos from the project were removed due to a copyright claim from MarkScan Enforcement, which has worked with Sony on DMCA requests.
A group of dedicated programmers has successfully brought back limited online functionality for the PC edition of Concord, the team-based shooter Sony pulled offline a mere two weeks following its debut last summer. However, the creators of this fan-operated server initiative are now restricting new user registrations after Sony began sending Digital Millennium Copyright Act takedown notices targeting videos that displayed sample gameplay footage.
The initiative, known as “Concord Delta,” gained attention after media reports highlighted its progress in reconstructing the game’s discontinued server interface to enable multiplayer matches over a recent weekend. One developer, identified as Red, communicated within the game’s community chat platform that the project remains under development, playable but still experiencing technical issues. They indicated that once their infrastructure was completely ready, they would move forward with confidential testing sessions among a select group.
To connect to the revived Concord Delta servers, users must possess an authentic PC copy of the game, which has become quite scarce. Industry estimates indicate roughly 25,000 units were sold for both PC and PS5 before Sony terminated support last year. This figure does not include those buyers who requested and received full refunds after the official online services were discontinued.
Adopting a cautious approach, Red shared two YouTube clips alongside their announcement, demonstrating the first playable match in months while humorously noting their own rusty aiming skills due to extensive reverse engineering work. Shortly after being posted, both videos were removed from the platform following a copyright complaint filed by MarkScan Enforcement. This firm has previously collaborated with Sony on similar intellectual property enforcement actions, signaling the company’s ongoing vigilance over its discontinued titles.
(Source: Ars Technica)
