FBC: Firebreak – Everything we know about Remedy’s multiplayer FPS

Remedy is gearing up to release its first-ever multiplayer project with FBC: Firebreak, an FPS title set in the Control universe. From gameplay details to platform information and how its story connects to the branching Remedyverse, here’s the full rundown.

Remedy has slowly but surely been building its own digital universe. There are threads connecting more than two decades worth of storytelling together, and if you’ve played Alan Wake 2, you know how convoluted it can all be.

Looking to simplify things a little, the acclaimed studio is now working on its very first multiplayer-only project. FBC: Firebreak is still connected to everything that’s come before, but you won’t need to wrap your head around it to get in on the chaotic FPS fun.

While the game was only just revealed during the 2024 Xbox Partner Preview event on October 17, we already know a great deal about the upcoming release. From how it plays to the platforms it’s launching on, here’s everything you need to know.

Is there a release date?

There is currently no exact release date for FBC: Firebreak, but we do know the game is targeting a 2025 launch.

As the game has only just been revealed, it’s too early for a concrete release date to be locked in, though fans won’t have to wait too long. Outside of any unforeseen delays, FBC: Firebreak is on track to release in the next calendar year.

Platforms

FBC: Firebreak is set to launch across Xbox Series X | S, PlayStation 5, and PC. Notably, the game will be accessible on day one through both Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus (Extra & Premium tiers).

This means fans with active subscriptions across either platform can effectively jump in at no extra cost the moment the game becomes available. This is a first for Remedy, and marks their attempt at casting the widest net possible by attracting as many players in at launch.

There’s currently no telling exactly how much the game may cost if purchased as a standalone item outside of these subscription services. However, Remedy’s latest investor meeting clarified it will be a ‘mid-price’ purchase, so not on par with the usual $59.99 AAA release, and not quite at the cheaper indie level, but somewhere in between. Expect roughly $30-40 USD for this one.

Is it on Steam Deck?

As FBC: Firebreak is coming to PC, and through Steam’s launcher no less, it will certainly be playable on Steam Deck. However, there’s no guarantee how well the multiplayer title will run on Valve’s handheld device, as Remedy hasn’t yet outlined plans to make it officially compatible.

Is it cross-platform? 

While not explicitly confirmed by Remedy, the FBC: Firebreak Steam page includes a label to indicate support of cross-platform multiplayer. This means the game should let you team up with friends across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation all at once.

It’s currently unclear if cross-progression is supported, however, so there’s no telling if you’ll be able to continue a grind from one platform on another.

Trailers

Thus far, only one trailer for FBC: Firebreak has been revealed. The announcement trailer debuted on October 17, 2024 as part of the Xbox Partner Preview event.

While brief, this announcement trailer gave us our first look at direct gameplay, showing intense three-player co-op action.

Announcement Trailer

FBC: Firebreak gameplay details

At its core, FBC: Firebreak is a three-player cooperative first-person shooter. It’s strictly PvE, with players teaming together to fend off AI-controlled enemies in a series of linear missions. There is no aspect of PVP whatsoever.

Set within the Federal Bureau of Control’s mysterious Oldest House, the multiplayer game takes place years after the events of Control. The building has been ravaged by an outbreak and it’s up to the Firebreak team, “the Bureau’s most versatile unit” to put a stop to the crisis at hand, or at least try to.

Before loading into any given mission, players are able to customize their loadouts, known here as the Firebreaker’s Crisis Kit. This includes the obvious like weapons, grenades, and equipment, but also the more unique like Paranatural Augments.

Paranatural Augments, much like how they appeared in Control, are described here as “more or less our take on ‘ultimates,’ Communications Director Thomas Puha said in an Xbox Wire blog post. “[They] are not to be taken lightly.”

While online-only, Remedy has sought to clarify its intentions with FBC: Firebreak. It’s not a live-service game, per se, as Puha put it. “[It] should be easy to get into and quickly understandable, not feel like a second job or that you have to spend an hour setting up your loadouts before you get into a session. This is not that game.”

Though that’s not to say there’s not still plenty of depth to be found. There are progression systems with unlockables to track down, and the game is set to evolve over time with new content drops too. Not only will missions, maps, and weapons likely all be shuffled around, but the story too, is set to be told over time as well.

We know for certain it will expand over time with gameplay elements and story beats along the way. Remedy’s latest investor meeting outlined how the game needs to sell three million copies across its lifespan to break even, so expect this one to be supported for a number of years.

How does FBC: Firebreak connect to Control? Remedy’s Connected Universe explained

FBC: Firebreak takes place after the events of Control. Without spoiling anything directly, the Oldest House is under new leadership, though not all has gone according to plan. The building has been impacted by another outbreak, with all the usual extraterrestrial and paranatural entities running amok.

While striving to welcome new players that haven’t experienced the first game, or anything else in Remedy’s Connected Universe, devs have nonetheless ensured that storytelling is still a key focus here.

“You will see more of Control’s world,” Game Director Mike Kayatta explained. “More of the Federal Bureau of Control. Meet more of the people who work there. Explore more of the Oldest House. Run into more weird stuff. And importantly, experience this world, old and new, from a completely different perspective.”

In the past, we’ve only ever encountered the FBC while standing across from them, be it as Jesse Faden or Alan Wake. Now, however, we get to assume the role of FBC operatives directly, stepping into the shoes of their most powerful task force.

Exactly where the missions lead or how the story pushed the overall universe forward is anyone’s guess for now. But we do know Remedy has big plans to continue telling “stories from that world – stories that will keep being told after launch.”

So for now, that’s everything there is to know about FBC: Firebreak, the first multiplayer project from Remedy. Rest assured, as further details emerge and we get closer to the game’s launch, we’ll keep you up to speed with all the latest right here.