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When Remedy Entertainment revealed that it was making a multiplayer spinoff of Control, I had no idea what to expect. Well, thanks to a gameplay debut at the Xbox Partner Preview showcase, we finally know that it’s going to be a three-player co-op FPS. It’s called FBC Firebreak, and in classic Remedy fashion, it’s pretty leftfield.
While a PvE co-op FPS game hardly sounds that experimental or boundary-pushing for a studio that has so often delivered novel and memorable experiences, FBC Firebreak still manages to give off a sense of uniqueness. While it is set in the iconic headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Control, this is not a direct sequel or tie-in experience. This means that Remedy can express itself and do what it does best – surprise us with some truly weird and wonderful ideas.
In the gameplay reveal, we see characters wielding an arsenal of bizarre weapons ranging from WW2-era MP40s, to a crank-handle minigun that fires goo, to a gnome bomb. The latter is one of Firebreak’s takes on an ultimate ability, which Remedy’s communications director, Thomas Puha, explains more about in a new post on the Xbox Wire blog.
“The Firebreak crew has been cleared to carry ‘paranatural augments,’ which are Altered Items engineered into tool attachments,” he says. “Like the Garden Gnome you saw in the trailer. These are more or less our take on ‘ultimates’ and are not to be taken lightly. I like to think of them as a jaguar in a box. You carry the box, you point it at something, you open the box, and you just kind of hope the jaguar doesn’t turn around and eat you or your friends instead.”
While Remedy does not describe Firebreak as a game as a service, it does confirm that post-launch updates will arrive for the game that add in new content.
Co-op PvE shooters like Helldivers 2 and Space Marine 2 have this year proven that there is still a lot of appetite for a genre that is often labeled as a bit stale and samey. That bodes well for FBC Firebreak, and I reckon its bonkers style and execution (plus the promise of exploring more of the Control universe) will further work in its favor. What will really make a big difference though is that it’ll be coming to both Xbox and PC Game Pass on day one, massively lowering the barrier to entry.
FBC Firebreak has been given a release window of 2025. You can read more about it over on its Xbox Wire announcement post here.
Until Remedy’s first ever multiplayer experience arrives, why not check some other amazing co-op games that you can play right now. Or if you’re in the mood to look ahead at what else is on the horizon, here’s our list of the biggest upcoming PC games.
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