FBC Firebreak is still struggling on Steam, as Remedy promises to make changes

FBC Firebreak, the multiplayer spin-off set in the world of Alan Wake and Control, tanked on Steam at release, but developer Remedy is promising major changes to come. In a new statement from the studio, it promises to overhaul the game's first hours and make progression less grindy. The statement was released alongside FBC Firebreak's first major patch, which implements some of these changes.

Since FBC Firebreak's launch on June 17, its ratings have improved, from a "mostly negative" from around 250 reviews to a "mixed" rating from around 1,100 reviews, but that's hardly a warm reception. The statement from the FBC Firebreak team claims that players who make it to higher level play seem to be enjoying the game more, but admits that it can be hard for players to get there. Remedy promises to make progression and gear unlocks faster, so that players can get to the good stuff. Although the new patch begins to address some of these issues, the statement reads, "while we can improve some features today and in the near term, some others will take longer and require more thinking from us."

However, Patch V. 1.2 does offer multiple concrete improvements. For example, players are no longer required to play matches on lower difficulty levels before playing on higher ones. The store explicitly separates gear and cosmetics. The patch remaps Job progression so that players can use each Job's full powerset more quickly. Patch V. 1.2 also adds a fair amount of bugs and fixes, in addition to balance and progression changes. FBC Firebreak has a long journey ahead of it before it can become one of the best co-op games, but Remedy seems to be making a good faith effort.

You can read the full FBC Firebreak update, along with the full 1.2 patch notes, on Steam.

If you are looking to try the game again or for the first time, take a look at our guide to the best requisitions in FBC Firebreak. If you want to go elsewhere for your thrills, check out the best FPS games.

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