Control Resonant

Unlike the first game, which is a third-person shooter, Resonant is an action role-playing video game. In the game, the player assumes control of Dylan Faden, who is released from captivity by the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) to assist in their efforts to contain an escaped extradimensional entity that has taken control of downtown Manhattan. The game places an emphasis on melee combat in contrast to the third-person shooter elements of its predecessor: Dylan's primary weapon, the "Aberrant", can shapeshift into a variety of armaments.^[1] Remedy described Resonant as an "open-ended" game, with the player being able to explore the city and complete optional quests and objectives.^[2]

In June 2021, Remedy Entertainment announced an agreement with 505 Games, the publisher of its 2019 game Control, to develop FBC: Firebreak, a multiplayer spin-off, and a "bigger-budget" project expanding the Control series.^[3] In May 2022, the latter project was referenced under the codename "Heron" in Remedy's development roadmap.^[4] In November, the company confirmed that "Heron" was a sequel to Control and unveiled the first concept art. Remedy announced a co-development and co-publishing deal with 505 Games for the title.^[5] In February 2024, Remedy acquired full ownership of the Control series from 505 Games for €17 million.^[6] In August, the company partnered with Annapurna Pictures to finance half of the sequel's development costs.^[7] By that month, the game had reached the "production readiness stage".^[8] In October, Control 2 was teased during an optional scene in the Alan Wake 2 expansion The Lake House.^[9][10] Control 2's full production began in February 2025.^[11] According to Remedy's annual report published in March, this phase is expected to last between 15 and 26 months, with a team size ranging from over 75 to 200 employees.^[12] The initial development budget for the sequel is €50 million.^[13] Remedy estimated that the game would need to sell between 3 and 4 million copies to break even.^[14]

In March 2026, it was reported that Control Resonant was in the alpha development stage.^[15]

Gameplay development

Control Resonant is an action role-playing game, with Remedy stating that they are "holding on to key tenets of storytelling and spectacle" from the first game while increasing player agency, exploration, and role-playing mechanics in the sequel.^[16] Remedy communications director Thomas Puha called Control Resonant's shift towards more action RPG elements as a "a natural progression" for the studio.^[17] Resonant stars Dylan Faden, the sibling of the protagonist of the first game, as its lead character. According to Kasurinen, Resonant had a significantly different approach to its gameplay and storytelling perspective, adding that players do not need to experience the first game to fully understand Resonant.^[18] Game director Mikael Kasurinen said that Control and Control Resonant "stand on their own feet, and they are like expressions of the two different siblings".^[17] Sergey Mohov served as the lead gameplay designer for Resonant. According to Mohov, Control Resonant is not an open world game but there are a number of "large, distinct, and expansive zones filled with side activities, hidden encounters, and optional discoveries".^[19]

Graphics technology

Control Resonant is being developed in Remedy's in-house Northlight Engine. With 2023's Alan Wake 2, Remedy reoriented its Northlight engine towards GPU-driven rendering, introducing mesh shaders and more accurate, single-pixel occulsion culling techniques to achieve greater levels of geometric detail and path traced lighting.^[20] The first Control title primarily took place indoors with the many reflective materials contained in the Oldest House's brutalist interior. Control Resonant, on the other hand, takes place in larger outdoor areas in Manhattan with more diffused materials.^[21]

Control Resonant was officially announced at the Game Awards in December 2025. It is scheduled to release in 2026 for macOS, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S.^[22] During PlayStation's State of Play presentation on 12 February 2026, a gameplay trailer for Control Resonant was shown.^[23]