FBC: Firebreak Receives Its Final Update, Open House, With Friends Pass and Price Cut
- Sagar Mankar
- 5 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Remedy Entertainment has released the last major content update for FBC: Firebreak, its co-op multiplayer shooter set in the Control universe.
The update, titled Open House, is now live across all platforms.
It brings new content, a Friends Pass system, and a permanent price reduction.
According to Remedy, no new playable content will be added after this point, though the game will remain online and playable.
This is not entirely surprising. FBC: Firebreak launched in June 2025 and struggled to find a solid player base from the start. Even fans of Remedy's story-driven games were skeptical about the studio's first multiplayer title. The game received mixed reviews and never gained meaningful traction.
Things got bad enough that Remedy's CEO, Tero Virtala, stepped down just four months after launch. Former EA executive Jean-Charles Gaudechon has since taken over the role.
What Is Included in the Open House Update
Despite being the final update, Open House is fairly packed. Here is a breakdown of everything new:
Friends Pass
The biggest addition is the Friends Pass system. Anyone who owns FBC: Firebreak can now invite friends to play for free. The invited players just need to download a free version of the game, called "Free Trial" on some console storefronts, and get an invite from someone who owns the full game.
It is a smart move to keep the game alive even as its player base remains small.
New Endless Shift Arenas
Five new arenas have been added to the Endless Shift mode, all inspired by locations from Control. They are:
Cafeteria (Executive Sector)
Aircon Room (Maintenance Sector)
Ranger HQ (Maintenance Sector)
Turntable (Containment Sector)
Ritual Lobby (Research Sector)
Gameplay Changes
The update also brings meaningful gameplay adjustments, including:
Harmful Conditions like Burning, Glowing, and Shocked now last for a shorter duration
HUD indicators for all conditions have been moved to a more visible position
Healing has been improved, with all water sources now restoring a small amount of health
The perk equipping system has been completely redesigned. Players can now equip only one instance of each perk, but it automatically activates at the highest level unlocked
Weapon Balancing
Heavy weapons like the Rotary Cannon, Scattergun, and Semi-automatic Rifle were outperforming other weapon types. Remedy has rebalanced the full arsenal to make every weapon feel viable at all difficulty levels, while keeping their individual identities intact.
Quality-of-Life Improvements
The closest Neutralizer is now always marked on the HUD
Crawling speed while downed has been increased significantly
Revive time has been cut from 5 seconds down to 3 seconds
Permanent Price Drop
Along with the update, Remedy has permanently lowered the price of the game. The base game now costs $19.99, and the Deluxe Edition is priced at $29.99.
On Steam, there is also an additional 20% discount running until the end of March, making it an even cheaper entry point.
Remedy's Statement on the Game's End
Remedy did not shy away from acknowledging the situation. In their official statement, they wrote, "Open House will be the last major update for FBC: Firebreak. We won't be adding new playable content after this update. FBC: Firebreak will stay online and continue to be playable for years to come. We have done engineering work to ensure we can sustain the upkeep of the relay servers when the player volume is lower."
They also added, "We're incredibly grateful to everyone who has played, supported, and shared feedback on FBC: Firebreak. As Remedy's first online multiplayer game and our first self-published title, it has been quite the journey for the studio and a valuable learning experience for the teams involved."
What Is Next for Remedy
The studio is already looking ahead. Control Resonant, a full single-player sequel to Control, is in development and seems to be returning Remedy to what they do best.
Remedy is also working on remakes of Max Payne and Max Payne 2 in collaboration with Rockstar, though updates on those have been quiet for a while.