FBC: Firebreak
2025 video game
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
FBC: Firebreak is a 2025 first-person shooter video game developed and published by Remedy Entertainment. Set six years after the events of Control, it follows a special unit of soldiers named Firebreak.
| FBC: Firebreak | |
|---|---|
| |
| Developer | Remedy Entertainment |
| Publisher | Remedy Entertainment |
| Director | Mike Kayatta |
| Designer | Anssi Hyytiäinen |
| Artist | James Tottman |
| Writer | Mike Kayatta |
| Composer | Petri Alanko |
| Series | Control |
| Engine | Northlight |
| Platforms | |
| Release | 17 June 2025 |
| Genre | First-person shooter |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
FBC: Firebreak was released for PlayStation 5, Windows and Xbox Series X/S on 17 June 2025. The game received mixed reviews from critics and failed to meet the sales expectations of Remedy.
On 18 March 2026, the final major update for FBC: Firebreak, titled "Open House", was released. Remedy announced the cessation of new content development to refocus on narrative-driven titles like Control 2 (codenamed Resonant), while promising to maintain relay servers for the foreseeable future.[1]
Gameplay
FBC: Firebreak is a team-based player versus environment first-person shooter, in which a group of three players - taking on the role of the Federal Bureau of Control's "Firebreak" containment teams - must venture into the Oldest House to eliminate various human enemies controlled by the extradimensional Hiss. The game is set after the events of Control.[2]
Players utilize "Crisis Kits", which include customizable loadouts of specialized firearms, grenades, and "Paranatural Augments"—bizarre items that grant unique abilities similar to Objects of Power.[3] The game features a wave-based survival mode called "Endless Shift", which takes place in shifting arenas inspired by locations from the original Control. Following the "Open House" update, a "Friend's Pass" system was implemented, allowing owners of the full game to invite players who do not own it to join their cooperative sessions for free.[4]
Development and release
The project was announced in June 2021 under the codename of "Condor" in a press release by Remedy Entertainment.[5] It was intended to be co-published and developed by 505 Games, the publisher on the first Control game.[6] In February 2024, Remedy Entertainment announced it had bought the rights to the Control franchise, including the publishing rights for the game, from 505 Games for €17 million.[7] In April 2024, it was confirmed by Remedy that the initial budget for the game was stated to be €25 million. It was also confirmed to be pay-to-play, as opposed to many other multiplayer games.[8]
Throughout late 2025 and early 2026, Remedy attempted to reinvigorate the player base with two major patches: the "Rogue Protocol" update in January 2026, which overhauled mission scaling, and the "Open House" update in March 2026. The latter coincided with a permanent price reduction to $19.99 for the base game. During this period, former EA executive Jean-Charles Gaudechon was appointed as the new CEO of Remedy, succeeding interim CEO Markus Mäki in March 2026.[9]
Reception
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | (PC) 64/100[10] (PS5) 65/100[11] (XSXS) 66/100[12] |
| OpenCritic | 24% recommend[13] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Destructoid | 7.5/10[14] |
| Digital Trends | 2.5/5[15] |
| Eurogamer | 3/5[16] |
| GameSpot | 8/10[17] |
| GamesRadar+ | 2/5[18] |
| IGN | 6/10[19] |
| PC Gamer (US) | 60/100[20] |
| Push Square | 6/10[21] |
| Shacknews | 8/10[22] |
| TechRadar | 1.5/5[23] |
FBC: Firebreak received "mixed or average" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic.[10][11][12] OpenCritic determined that 24% of critics recommended the game.[13]
Sales
FBC: Firebreak attracted more than 1 million players by 26 June 2025.[24] Despite high initial engagement via Xbox Game Pass, the title suffered from rapid player attrition.
In February 2026, Remedy reported a €14.9 million non-cash write-down for the fiscal year 2025, directly attributed to the game's poor commercial performance. The company issued a profit warning, noting that while the game "succeeded technically," consumer sales were significantly lower than anticipated, particularly on Steam.[9][25]