Remedy to Revive FBC: Firebreak with Major September update

FBC: Firebreak will get major update in September (Image Credit: Remedy)

Remedy Entertainment, the studio behind hit titles like Alan Wake, Control, and Max Payne, has shared its roadmap to improve FBC: Firebreak—its first major push into the PvE multiplayer genre.

Following a lukewarm reception since its launch on June 17, 2025, on PC (Steam and Epic Games Store), PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S, the developer is now focused on addressing feedback and fixing the game’s most criticized elements.

In a recent developer update on Steam, Remedy acknowledged these concerns, particularly the steep learning curve and frustrating early-game experience. “We’ve seen many players come into the game and leave within the first hour,” the studio noted, citing that newcomers often feel “ineffective and confused.” To fix this, Remedy is introducing a new narrative onboarding experience to better explain the game’s mechanics and the strange world of the Federal Bureau of Control.

This onboarding overhaul includes a new playable tutorial level, in-game narrative elements, and contextual pop-up tips.

Combat is also getting an overhaul. Gone are the generic weapon upgrades; instead, players will now start with more powerful baseline weapons. These will be customizable through a new modding system designed to suit different playstyles and grow player power more naturally over time. Additionally, Remedy is adding three new heavy weapons to the arsenal, expanding tactical options for teams.

Jobs—Firebreak’s mission-based levels—are getting refined too. The studio plans to restructure them based on player feedback, pruning unpopular modifiers and allowing more flexibility in mission length. Updates to existing Jobs will introduce more variation and encourage exploration by moving key items around.

A brand-new hand-crafted Job level is also in the works, featuring three new zones, new enemy types, and a new status effect. All of these changes are scheduled to roll out in September 2025, with another major content update expected around the holiday season.

Remedy emphasizes that communication may quiet down over the next several weeks while the team focuses on development. “The nature of game dev means things change frequently,” they explained, noting that some features may arrive later—or earlier—than initially planned. Still, they aim to remain transparent without overpromising.

Even though some players, including critics, bounced off early—citing clunky turret deployment or confusing mechanics—there's a growing sense that Firebreak still holds promise. With Remedy’s proven track record in storytelling and atmospheric design, the upcoming updates could very well bring the game into a more polished and enjoyable state.

For now, FBC: Firebreak remains available on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus, besides PC and consoles, making it accessible for those curious to see how the game evolves in the coming months.

FBC: Firebreak will get a major update in September

Here’s a summary of all the major changes coming to FBC: Firebreak in the September 2025 Major Update, as outlined by Remedy:

Gameplay Improvements

• New Mod System: Replaces generic equipment upgrades. Players can now customize how their guns and tools behave and grow in power.

• Removal of Generic Upgrades: All players will start with a fully playable and powerful version of each weapon/tool.

• Addition of 3 New Heavy Guns: Expands weapon variety and tactical options.

• Gunplay Rebalance: Enhancements to make combat more impactful and enjoyable early on.

Onboarding & Player Experience

• Playable Tutorial Level: Helps new players learn core mechanics through gameplay rather than just text.

• Improved Narrative Onboarding: Builds on the existing intro video to explain the Control universe and your role within the Federal Bureau of Control.

• Smarter Pop-Up Tips: Contextual guidance that appears at the right time during gameplay to ease the learning curve.

• Focus on First-Hour Experience: Major redesign of early-game to reduce player frustration and improve retention.

Mission System Overhaul

• Introduction of the “Crisis Board”: A new system that replaces Clearance and Corruption Levels with curated, exciting Job variants.

• Pre-Made Job Variants: More dynamic and unpredictable mission setups—short, long, chaotic, or story-driven.

• New Game Modes: Additional ways to play the game, with more on the way in future updates.

• Reworked Matchmaking Flow: Clearer system with better segmented player pools for more balanced matches.

Level Design & Content Expansion

• Environmental Randomization: Key items like ammo stations, showers, and traversal tools will spawn in different locations each run.

• Dynamic Objectives: Objectives within Zones 1 and 2 will be shuffled to keep missions fresh and surprising.

• Job Reworks: Updates to existing Jobs for better pacing, variety, and replayability.

• New Handcrafted Job Level:

  • Features three unique zones

  • Includes a new mold-based crisis

  • Adds a new status effect

  • Introduces two new enemy types

  • Internally nicknamed “the sushi train”

"As we hope has become clear, we are pushing a lot of improvements and changes into the game for our first Major Update. Some of these ideas were improvements that we weren’t able to add before launch, but all were decided on and developed based on what we heard from you (listening to feedback) and seen from you (looking at data)," the dev stated in the post.