Game director Mike Kayatta at Remedy, who is currently working on co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak, has revealed why the studio went the route of multiplayer rather than its traditional single-player format. In an interview with GamesRadar, Kayatta spoke about how it was an opportunity for Remedy to tell its stories in a new way.
“A lot of this is uncharted territory for us,” says Kayatta, talking about FBC: Firebreak being multiplayer. “We know we have a lot to learn to deliver on the potential we see, but there’s a lot of passion and drive behind our push into this space.”
Kayatta discusses how multiplayer games tend to have greater chances for emergent storytelling, which can only happen thanks to player actions, and how this helps shape the world around them.
“There’s a sort of emergent magic that comes from sharing a game world with other people,” said Kayatta. “Real people bring unpredictability and a unique type of storytelling to worlds that we simply can’t replicate in a focused ‘hero’s journey’ type of experience.”
He goes on to reiterate that developing single-player titles with strong narratives like Control and Alan Wake 2 will continue to be a priority for the studio. FBC: Firebreak being multiplayer, however, gives the studio the chance to explore new ideas.
“So, while crafting those kinds of controlled and immersive single-player experiences remains a major focus for the studio, we thought it was finally time to expand the Remedy Connected Universe into shared spaces and brave something new.”
FBC: Firebreak was originally announced back in October. As its name might imply, the game puts players in the shoes of a first responder for the Federal Bureau of Control. Kayatta has previously described the title as its own thing, being neither a DLC nor a sequel to Control, despite taking place in the same setting.
Players will explore the depths of The Oldest House – the base of operations for the FBC. Throughout their time with the game, players can use Altered Items, which grant abilities to the player described by Remedy as its own take on ‘Ultimates’.
The game will take place a few years after the events of Control, and as such, various locations in The Oldest House will also have changed quite a bit. The studio has stated that these old locations will be reimagined from the ground up for FBC: Firebreak.
FBC: Firebreak is slated for release in 2025 for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is set to be a mid-priced title, and while it won’t be a live-service game, it will continue to get post-launch support in the form of content updates. For players looking for more single-player experiences by Remedy, the studio is also working on Control 2. Remedy has revealed that, while Control 2 will have a budget of €50 million, FBC: Firebreak has a €30 million budget for development.
