Alan Wake makers (Wakers?) Remedy have delivered FBC: Firebreak’s final major update, having previously elected to wind down development of the struggling Control-themed shooter. This swansong for the game delivers some new maps inspired by the original Control, and a Friend’s Pass that lets you invite a mate to play with you via a free version of Firebreak. Handy for keeping sessions decently stocked, since Remedy have made sure the shooter’ll remain “playable for years to come”.
Yep, no server shutdown’s imminent despite Remedy moving their focus elsewhere, which is certainly a refreshing surprise given the likes of Highguard continuing to close their doors in rapid fashion once their creators can no longer justify making additions. “FBC: Firebreak will stay online and continue to be playable for years to come, Remedy wrote in the notes for the Open House update. “We have done engineering work to ensure we can sustain the upkeep of the relay servers when the player volume is lower.”
To help ensure Firebreak’s servers won’t become an empty wasteland, at least in the short term, the developers have introduced a “Friend’s Pass”. Basically, if you own the game, you can now invite up to two mates who don’t have it to join your session via a version of Firebreak which looks to work like a free trial. Your friends on the free version won’t be able to start a game without joining an existing lobby or create their own lobbies, but they can accept an unlimited number of game invites from folks playing the full version. This has arrived alongside a permanent price drop for that full version – the base game now costs $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.74, with the deluxe edition priced at $29.99 / €29.99 / £26.74.
As for the Open House update’s other new additions, the main one is five fresh endless shift arenas inspired by the original Control. So, you can try to survive a cafeteria, an aircon Room, Ranger HQ, Turntable, and lobby where rituals take place. Meanwhile, Remedy have tweaked the likes of burn, glow, and shock effects to last a shorter time, as well as making sure every water source you run across will give you back at least a little bit of health. Finally, perks can now only be equipped once and weapons should “perform more consistently across difficulty levels”.
“FBC: Firebreak was built by a team fueled by passion and experimentation,” Firebreak game director Mike Kayatta wrote in a goodbye message of sorts. “That spirit shaped the game, but the moments that brought it to life were the ones that players created together. We want to make sure those moments can continue for the players who are already here, and for anyone else looking for a high-energy, low-pressure game night with friends.”
If you’re thinking of giving the shooter a go now you can drag a mate along for free, here’s James’ FBC: Firebreak review with some warts and all thoughts of the version that existed at launch.
