FBC: Firebreak – The Spin-Off of Control

If, like me, you’ve been eagerly awaiting the return of Control, don’t lose hope, gamer, because as far as we know, Control 2 is still in development (for more than 2 years now), as we’ve mentioned before. BUT, if by any chance you’re one of those who can’t handle the wait or the anxiety to dive back into the paranormal world of The Oldest House and take on the conflicted role of Director of the Federal Bureau of Control again, well… you’ll have to keep waiting XD. Anyway, either way, this information might interest you.

The universe of Control is back, maybe not in the way we expected, but at least we’ll have a little snack to pass the time while we wait for the return of our beloved Jesse Faden and her supernatural abilities.

This time, we bring you FBC: Firebreak, the spin-off of Control, which was announced during the Xbox Partner Review event. We’re talking about a multiplayer game obviously developed by Remedy, who has been in the public eye a lot lately thanks to their acclaimed Alan Wake 2 and its impressive DLCs. FBC: Firebreak will arrive on Xbox Series and PC at some point in 2025, and it will be available from day one on Game Pass.

As you could see in the trailer, it’s a frenetic first-person co-op action game for three players, a totally new and independent proposal, but set in the mysterious universe of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC).

What’s New and Different (?)

As we know, the goal of FBC: Firebreak is to offer an “accessible” experience where players, as first responders to the FBC’s call to action, will face paranormal threats at the agency’s headquarters, The Oldest House. As you might guess, and as you’ve likely seen in the trailer, we’ll encounter some old acquaintances, as well as completely new enemies designed exclusively for this release, trying to maintain the setting that mixes the mysteries of a building that changes its position and size as the plot demands, with the fear that the unknown generates, though inevitably contrasting with the dynamic aspect of modern co-op shooters.

In FBC: Firebreak, we will be able to use various resources to confront our enemies, such as supernatural boosts, tools inspired by altered objects we know from the first game, or others we’ve never seen before, among many other things. Despite being a multiplayer project, the team has worked on “maintaining the strong narrative aspect that has made Remedy famous.” That said, FBC: Firebreak is not a sequel to Control, but its events do take place after the events of that beloved first installment, allowing us to discover new facets of the game’s universe. The narrative does not focus on a single linear story but on a world full of mysteries where players will create their own experiences.

The tone of the game will mix the absurd and the serious, following Control’s tradition; while some situations might seem funny from the player’s perspective, the characters within the game world will express the logical tension and concern when facing genuine threats. Remedy aims to offer a balance between the action and narrative that its fans appreciate while introducing new multiplayer mechanics and challenges.

My Personal Take

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve had a good look at everything FBC: Firebreak has to offer, as seen in the trailer and as shared by the developers during the Xbox Partner Review.

I hope you won’t get mad at me, but personally, I choose to be skeptical about this release. Perhaps many of you agree with me, and surely others will disagree, but from my humble point of view, the universe and gameplay of Control, and the multiplayer, co-op, and first-person mode, are several things that should not be mixed together. In the trailer, I saw the classic dynamism of other games with the same characteristics, nothing more, nothing less, which makes me see this game as “just another” of that genre, but set in another universe, one that I personally appreciate and respect too much to see through that blurry lens.

As you may have noticed, but if you haven’t, I’ll make the obvious clear: I’m a lover of the game Control, its universe, its intricate plot, and its mysteries that still captivate me. In fact, I’ve finished the first game more than ten times, seriously. Personally, I think Control was so special because it managed to combine several elements almost perfectly—the gigantic eerie and empty building, the unsolved mysteries presented by the agency behind every door, the gameplay that we could consider perfect, as the third-person view allows us to appreciate how the use of paranormal abilities affects Jesse, like flying, attacking, or cleansing the different checkpoints… The plot of that first game, which has been discussed a million times, without it being completely clear where exactly it starts and ends, and without telling us 100% what some things are, like The Hotline, or The Board… I firmly believe that narrative and story development were key to the game’s success, and its connection to the Alan Wake universe, another series based on single-player experiences, in another gloomy and dense atmosphere, with mysteries and dangers in every dark corner, was simply masterful.

For all these reasons, it’s hard for me to imagine that style of gameplay in this universe that I love and respect for reasons so opposed to everything I see in that game. It’s like if I were a lover of Star Wars games, and suddenly a game about intergalactic soccer set in the Star Wars universe came out, and I was expected to like it just because the final is played on Tatooine, you get me?

I’m still waiting for Control 2, maybe next year, or the year after, and obviously, this spin-off isn’t what I expect from that franchise, but some of you might be excited to embark on the missions of FBC: Firebreak. You’ll tell me when you do. I just hope they don’t ruin something that was wonderful up to this point.

And now, my dear Director, this is where I ask you to drop by the comments and leave your opinion on this news, or even your stance, whether you agree or disagree with my point of view. Anyway, you know, gamer, I’ll be reading you 😉

Images Source: Xbox Official YouTube Channel, FBC: Firebreak on Steam