Taeseok Jang, the franchise director for PUBG, recently revealed he feels a sense of sadness regarding the closures of Concord and Highguard, viewing their struggles as critical lessons for the future of multiplayer game development.
Learning from Industry Setbacks
During an exclusive Krafton press tour, Jang shared that he maintains personal connections with developers who worked on both Concord and Highguard. Concord faced a swift exit from the market in August 2024, lasting only two weeks, while Highguard shuttered just over six weeks after its January 2026 debut.
Rather than dismissing these closures, Jang actively analyzes them to refine his own approach. “When you think about making new games, it’s really hard to succeed every time,” Jang explained. “I try to put myself in their positions and think, ‘what could I have done better in that situation?’ That is how I try to process these industry shifts.”
The Importance of Community Messaging
Jang highlighted community communication as a pivotal area for improvement. This observation carries particular weight regarding Highguard, which utilized a controversial marketing strategy: debuting at the 2026 Game Awards followed by a period of near-total silence until its launch just over a month later.
Reflecting on PUBG: Blindspot
The PUBG boss is no stranger to the realities of short-lived titles. PUBG: Blindspot, a top-down tactical shooter, was permanently closed at the end of March 2026 after less than two months in early access.
Jang views the Blindspot experience as a validation of Krafton’s reliance on early access to test concepts. He noted that the project “reinforced how important it is to rapidly prototype in small teams and incorporate player feedback into the development process.” This sentiment is shared by other industry leaders, including the team behind InZoi, who continue to advocate for early access as a vital tool for modern game development.
Reflecting on the broader landscape, the InZoi team recently noted that while the success of titles like Crimson Desert is encouraging for the Korean market, there remains a mutual opportunity for growth as Asian and Western developers continue to learn from one another’s successes and failures.
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