Remedy is known for creating engaging and memorable single-player action games, and 2019's Control is right up there as one of the studio's very best. Set in the claustrophobic underground Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) facility known as The Oldest House, the mind-bending story sees players use a shapeshifting gun and force-like powers to stop a mysterious threat.
On PC, Control is still a visually striking release. It incorporates a suite of cutting-edge ray-tracing effects, making it one of the first games to sell RT as the future of real-time graphics. It also debuted with NVIDIA DLSS 2, which kickstarted AI-powered upscaling becoming a mainstay in PC gaming.
Fast forward to 2024, and Remedy has finally lifted the lid on its first multiplayer game. It's called FBC: Firebreak, and it's a three-player co-op first-person shooter set in the Control universe.
"I guess you could say that it's a spin-off, but in the most positive sense of the word. It's not designed to be some kind of lesser, bite-sized Control," Game Director Mike Kayatta said. "FBC: Firebreak is its own, fully formed thing."
FBC: Firebreak was announced as part of the Xbox Partner Preview broadcast that streamed live earlier today. In a subsequent Xbox Wire post, Remedy's Communications Director, Thomas Puha, described the game as mission-based with "hectic" gameplay.
"We have always done single-player games at Remedy, and rest assured, we have more single-player games in development, and they will be awesome, but for a long time, we have wanted to make a PvE multiplayer game," Thomas Puha explains. "There are loads of us here who love multiplayer besides single-player. We don't want to be doing the same types of games all the time; it's good to take on new challenges."
Per the name, players will take, err, control of Federal Bureau of Control 'first responders' to fight 'paranatural threats.' Remedy notes that the game is designed as a pick-up-and-play experience, not something that will feel like a chore or a 'second job.' In other words, it's not a live service game but will be supported by new content post-release.
FBC: Firebreak is on track for a 2025 PC and Xbox Series X|S release. The game will also be released day one on Game Pass.