Remedy confirms FBC: Firebreak has failed to meet sales targets despite a major update

Remedy Entertainment has confirmed that FBC: Firebreak, its first-ever multiplayer project set in the Control universe, has failed to meet internal sales targets despite a recent major update. The announcement came through an investor post, just weeks before its Q3 2025 Business Review on October 29.

FBC Firebreak Breakpoint (Credit: Remedy)

The game, which launched on June 17, received mixed reviews at best. Players criticized its uninspired opening, lack of depth, and repetitive structure. While the concept of expanding the Control universe through a cooperative experience was promising, it simply didn’t land as hoped.

Remedy released a major patch in September titled Breakpoint, aiming to fix many of the game’s launch issues. The update introduced new Crises, weapons, enemies, and additional gameplay systems to make the experience more rewarding. However, according to Remedy CEO Tero Virtala, these efforts haven’t produced the expected turnaround.

In his statement, Virtala explained that the studio is now “recognizing a non-cash impairment of capitalized development costs and allocated purchased publishing and distribution rights related to FBC: Firebreak.” The impairment is reportedly valued at €14.9 million, mostly reflecting the game’s development and distribution expenses.

He added that while Remedy is adjusting its “long-term sales forecast,” the team still intends to continue improving the game, balancing future investments to keep it alive.

In earlier earnings results, the studio noted that subscription deals with Sony (PlayStation Plus) and Microsoft (Xbox Game Pass) provided Firebreak with a strong initial boost. The game attracted over 1 million players in its first week, largely thanks to these partnerships. However, Virtala admitted that the PC version “underperformed” on Steam, citing onboarding issues and mission design problems that caused early player drop-offs and negative reviews. As a result, the player base has since dwindled significantly, down to double digits in active players as per the SteamDB.

FBC Firebreak breakpoint update all content (Credit: Remedy)

Despite the setbacks, Remedy doesn’t seem ready to abandon the project. Known for narrative-driven hits like Alan Wake and Control, the Finnish studio appears committed to refining its multiplayer approach rather than shelving it completely.

The company will release its Q3 2025 Business Review on October 29 at 9:00 a.m. EET, where we may hear more about how the Firebreak situation affects Remedy’s broader development roadmap.