Remedy "unsatisfied" with FBC Firebreak's sales, acknowledges "rocky launch"

When FBC Firebreak was first announced, I couldn't hide my excitement. Remedy Entertainment's penchant for the 'new weird,' packaged up as a Helldivers 2-style co-op shooter was quite the hook. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectation, and was panned by players and critics alike. In its latest financial report, the studio doesn't hide its disappointment, but insists that there's plenty more to come from its Firebreakers.

FBC Firebreak is a bit like that meme with the horse that gets progressively worse drawn as it progresses. What was expected to be one of the year's best co-op games starts out strong, but after a few hours it all gets a bit samey. As a standalone experience it's threadbare, offering a measly arsenal of weapons and tedious mission design that's more 'boo, hiss' than 'ooo, Hiss.'

While it's not quite Killing Floor 3-tier barren - I have many thoughts on Tripwire's latest horde shooter - FBC Firebreak still fails to merit its more modest $40 price tag. It's a shame, truly, because the world of Control is fascinating and deserves better. Remedy knows this better than anyone, which is reflected in its half year fiscal update.

"On Steam, which was planned as the primary consumer sales channel on PC, the launch underperformed," the report reads. "The game's initial onboarding experience and mission structure resulted in high early player drop-offs and an influx of negative reviews. As players spent more time in the game and we released updates improving the game, sentiment in reviews turned more positive.

"Commercially, we were unsatisfied with the launch-phase consumer sales of FBC Firebreak. Thus far, FBC Firebreak's commercial performance has largely been driven by the Xbox and PlayStation subscription service agreements. A considerable portion of the revenues from these agreements will still be recognized throughout the contract period."

It's not all doom and gloom, though. The studio's already got a major content update lined up for September, promising new weapons, a new job, and big tweaks to the new player experience. This, it says, is "the next key step" to getting things back on track.

Elsewhere in the report, Remedy offers a quick update on the eagerly anticipated Control 2, which it says is "on track." The big focus, it says, is currently on "gameplay, environments, and missions." Considering it only entered full production back in February, I'm not expecting anything more substantial for quite some time. A teaser at this year's The Game Awards would be delightful, but I'm not holding my breath.

If you're after something to remedy your pew pew needs ahead of September's big FBC Firebreak update, check out more of the best multiplayer games around. Or, if you need more Remedy in your life, our list of the best story games will have what you need.

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