Firebreak Hits 1M Players, More Work Ahead

Remedy's Control spin-off shooter, FBC: Firebreak, has surpassed one million players. The free-to-play title is accessible to Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus subscribers, yet the studio acknowledged this achievement as a "significant milestone" while recognizing "there is still considerable work ahead."

"As of last night, FBC: Firebreak has welcomed over 1 million players. This marks a significant milestone, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has joined the experience from all of us at Remedy," the studio announced in a social media post.

"We're fully aware that significant challenges remain, and our team is incredibly motivated to address them. Exciting developments are in the works for Firebreak players, with more details to be shared shortly."

Last week, developers highlighted concerns regarding "the first hour experience," noting that FBC: Firebreak's initial gameplay suffered from "a less-than-ideal experience resulting from multiple factors." These included confusing onboarding processes, insufficiently explained mechanics and tools, and "limited guidance on successfully completing Jobs and optimizing work efficiency." The developer further explained: "The power progression feels underwhelming during the initial stages as starter weapons lack impact, while unlocking advanced weapons demands excessive grinding."

"Even with occasional narrative gaps, the experience remains highly engaging as players contain unpredictable creatures within Remedy's brilliantly absurd bureaucratic universe," we noted in IGN's ongoing FBC: Firebreak review. "I'll continue exploring this week and finalize the review after thoroughly testing the boundaries of Remedy's chaotic cooperative job simulator."

Remedy has also outlined comprehensive post-launch support plans, featuring two new Jobs (missions) scheduled for 2025. Additional updates will follow in 2026, according to the developer. All future playable content, including Jobs, will be available at no cost. While cosmetic items will be offered for purchase, these provide no gameplay advantages, and the studio confirmed there will be no time-limited rotations or daily login requirements.

The Alan Wake developer maintains an active development schedule with multiple concurrent projects. Alongside FBC: Firebreak, the studio is developing Control 2 and the Max Payne 1 & 2 remake compilation.