FBC: Firebreak

FBC: Firebreak is a 2025 cooperative first-person shooter video game developed and published by Remedy Entertainment. Set within the “Remedy Connected Universe,” the game is a multiplayer spin-off of the critically acclaimed 2019 game Control. Released on June 17, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows, it marks Remedy’s first foray into both multiplayer-only titles and self-publishing.

Taking place six years after the events of Control, the game puts players in the shoes of “Firebreak,” a specialized team of volunteer first responders within the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). Their mission is to dive into the most dangerous, anomaly-ridden sectors of the Oldest House (the FBC’s headquarters) to contain the ongoing paranatural threat known as the Hiss, restoring order to a facility on the brink of total collapse.

Gameplay

FBC: Firebreak shifts the franchise’s perspective to a team-based, player-versus-environment (PvE) cooperative shooter. Teams of up to three players must work together to complete various objectives across the shifting, surreal environments of the Oldest House. The game is designed to be highly action-oriented, requiring seamless teamwork to survive intense combat encounters and complete containment protocols.

Key gameplay mechanics include:

Co-op Action: Three players team up to tackle missions, with a heavy emphasis on synergizing abilities, sharing resources, and reviving fallen teammates.
Crisis Kits and Loadouts: Players customize their “Firebreaker” before each mission using a Crisis Kit. This includes choosing a primary non-standard weapon, specialized tools, and grenades, allowing players to tailor their role—whether that’s crowd control, damage, or support.
Paranatural Augments: In a nod to the original Control, players have access to experimental technology that allows them to weaponize Objects of Power or utilize strange paranatural abilities to turn the tide of battle.
The Hiss Threat: Enemies include standard possessed personnel and heavily mutated, reality-warping Hiss monsters that require coordinated strategies to defeat.
Dynamic Environments: The Oldest House continues to be an unpredictable setting, featuring shifting architecture and reality-bending anomalies that players must navigate during firefights.

Development and Legacy

Initially teased in 2021 under the working title Project Condor, the game was formally revealed as FBC: Firebreak during an Xbox Partner Preview event in October 2024. Remedy Entertainment developed the game on their proprietary Northlight Engine, intending to create a highly replayable multiplayer experience that expanded the lore of the Control universe without relying on tedious live-service mechanics like battle passes or daily login requirements.

Released as a mid-priced title and included on day one for PlayStation Plus and Xbox Game Pass subscribers, the game sought to lower the barrier to entry. FBC: Firebreak eschewed typical aggressive monetization in favor of a straightforward co-op structure.

Despite an enthusiastic buildup and a strong aesthetic that captured the weirdness of the Remedy universe, the game received mixed reviews upon release. Critics and players praised the visual design, atmospheric setting, and lack of predatory microtransactions, but many felt the gameplay loop lacked the depth and longevity required of a standout multiplayer shooter. After modest sales and a declining player base, Remedy released the “Open House” update in March 2026, marking the game’s final major content drop while committing to keeping the servers online indefinitely for existing players.

Key Features:

Three-Player Co-op — Join forces with friends or matchmake with others to form a Firebreak response unit, relying on teamwork and strategy to survive.
Return to the Oldest House — Explore new, previously inaccessible, and highly corrupted areas of the FBC headquarters, rendered beautifully on the Northlight Engine.
Weird Weaponry — Wield an arsenal of Bureau-engineered firearms and bizarre paranatural abilities.
No Live-Service Grind — Designed as a standalone experience without battle passes, daily check-ins, or limited-time FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) events.
Remedy Universe Lore — Expands on the ongoing narrative of the Hiss invasion and the state of the Bureau following the events of Control.