Firebreak Is Missing One Key Component of the Remedy Connected Universe

About a year after the release of Control, Remedy unveiled a teaser trailer for the then-upcoming AWE DLC. This trailer revealed that Alan Wake and the Bright Falls Incident would be the subject of Control‘s second story expansion, officially connecting Remedy’s 2010 psychological thriller to the 2019 action-adventure. Soon after, Remedy creative director Sam Lake confirmed the existence of the Remedy Connected Universe, and stated that future projects would take place within it. FBC: Firebreak is one such project.

Set six years after the events of Control, FBC: Firebreak sees players exploring the Oldest House once again, which is still in the midst of a widespread Hiss invasion. Generally speaking, FBC: Firebreak feels a little disconnected from the rest of the Remedy Universe. But the appearance of one staple Remedy character could have fixed that.

FBC: Firebreak’s Unwritten Rules Explained

FBC: Firebreak may have only been out a few days, but there are already a few important unwritten rules that have emerged among the player-base.

FBC: Firebreak Is Missing The Remedy Connected Universe’s Anchor Being

Ahti Has Become a Key Component of The Remedy Connected Universe

Ahti is introduced within the opening few minutes of Control‘s main story, where he greets Jesse Faden in the lobby of the Federal Bureau of Control’s headquarters. It’s clear there’s something a little off about the Finnish janitor, but he seems friendly enough. Ahti appears throughout Control‘s runtime, tasking Jesse with various janitorial side missions and giving her directions to navigate the Oldest House’s constantly-shifting corridors.

According to Control‘s in-game collectibles, Ahti appeared suddenly in the Oldest House all the way back in the 1960s, claiming to be the building’s janitor despite it only being discovered hours prior. It’s believed that Ahti is a paranatural entity, though despite actively investigating him, the FBC aren’t sure of his origins or the scope of his abilities. That said, Ahti can seemingly communicate telepathically and teleport at will throughout the Oldest House. Though he doesn’t play a major role in Control‘s story, his importance to the game’s world is clear.

It’s teased a few times in both Control and Alan Wake 2 that Ahti could actually be a Finnish sea god.

Towards the end of Control, Ahti tells Jesse he’s going on vacation. Completing all of his side missions rewards the player with a postcard from Ahti, who’s visiting Watery, a location from Alan Wake. This thread is picked up in Alan Wake 2, where Ahti can be seen in various locations throughout the game’s story, once again acting aloof and seemingly teleporting to places he shouldn’t be able to access.

While Alan Wake 2 also features some appearances from FBC agents, Ahti is one of the game’s strongest connections to Control. It seems likely that Ahti’s role is only going to grow with each new entry in the Remedy Connected Universe, and he’s already become a sort of anchor being for it.

Ahti Is Nowhere to be Found in FBC: Firebreak

Despite being set in the Oldest House, FBC: Firebreak feels oddly disconnected from the rest of the Remedy Universe, with it adding very little story content of its own and only referencing past games a few times in throwaway lines or in loading screen text documents. Ahti, for instance, is only referenced twice in FBC: Firebreak, both in regard to the giant furnace in the mission “Hot Fix.”

These very brief references seem to suggest that Ahti hasn’t returned to the Oldest House in some time. While Remedy could be planning something big for Ahti in Control 2, a small cameo in FBC: Firebreak would have gone a long way in making the game feel more connected to the universe’s overarching story.