Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind the popular game Control, is gearing up to release a new multiplayer spin-off called FBC Firebreak. This game takes a different approach by focusing on the workplace absurdity angle, where players control ordinary agents from the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) to fend off invaders from their offices. Set in the Oldest House, the massive building of the FBC, players will venture through various environments filled with extraplanar invaders known as the Hiss, which have taken over the building six years after the events in Control. Players must embark on missions to reclaim the offices using an array of weapons and tools.
In FBC Firebreak, players, known as middle managers, engineers, secretaries, and security guards, must work together in three-player squads to liberate their offices. The game features missions called jobs that send players into specific environments with challenges and bosses to defeat. Players can customize their load-outs with class roles, equipment, and weapons before each mission, encouraging teamwork and strategic gameplay. The game plays like an extraction shooter, where players can choose the difficulty level of their run, with higher risk resulting in higher rewards.
Remedy Entertainment has set some guiding principles for FBC Firebreak, such as making all upcoming content available to all players without any paid DLC. The game will not include the typical daily missions or monthly grinds to avoid creating an engagement treadmill for players. Instead of focusing on horror elements, FBC Firebreak leans more towards workplace surrealism and absurdity, offering a fresh perspective on the world of Control. The game draws inspiration from various sources, such as the TV show Dirty Jobs, to bring a unique and entertaining experience to players.
FBC Firebreak differs from previous Remedy games, such as Max Payne, Alan Wake, Quantum Break, and Control, by focusing on a multiplayer experience where players move quickly through levels, help teammates, and engage in more cooperative gameplay rather than individual exploration. The game aims to deliver fast-paced action and keep players at the center of the experience by removing barriers between starting the game and battling the Hiss with friends. While FBC Firebreak may not feature the handcrafted Big Moments of past games, it offers emergent gameplay that allows players to create their own unique and unplanned situations during missions.
Despite being a standalone game, FBC Firebreak is set in the same universe as Control and other Remedy titles, hinting at potential connections to the greater Remedyverse. While it won’t progress the story of Control’s protagonist Jesse Faden, players can expect a new storyline centered around the horrors of office bureaucracy rather than extradimensional threats. The game is scheduled for release on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC platforms in the summer, offering a refreshing multiplayer experience set within the intriguing world of Control. Fans of the series can look forward to a new perspective on the FBC and its employees in their battle against the Hiss invaders.
