Sony Issues DMCA Takedowns Targeting Fan-revived Concord Servers
Sony has begun issuing DMCA takedown notices focused on gameplay videos of Concord, a previously shuttered multiplayer shooter, as a community-led project successfully restored access to the game through custom servers. The takedowns,executed by MarkScan – a company frequently utilized by Sony to enforce copyright – signal the company’s response to the fan effort,despite not yet directly targeting the server project itself.
The revival stemmed from the “Concord Delta” project, a dedicated team of fans who managed to bring Concord back online earlier this month after Sony shut down the game’s official servers in November 2023. While the custom servers allowed players to once again experience the title, the surge in gameplay footage uploaded to platforms like YouTube has now drawn the attention of Sony’s legal team. currently, the takedowns are exclusively targeting these gameplay videos, not the custom server code or the progress work behind it.
“Due to worrying legal action we’ve decided to pause invites for the time being,” Red, a developer with the Concord Delta project, posted in the project’s Discord server. The team has confirmed they have not received a direct DMCA notice regarding the custom server project itself.
The situation highlights the complex legal landscape surrounding fan-led revivals of discontinued online games. While the community’s efforts have demonstrated significant player interest in preserving access to Concord, Sony’s actions underscore the publisher’s control over its intellectual property and its ability to enforce copyright restrictions, even on resurrected titles. The future of the Concord Delta project and the availability of the custom servers remain uncertain as the situation develops.
