Firebreak Sets The Stage for Control 2

Though it was officially announced back in 2022, Control 2 still has a ways to go. After two years of quiet, Remedy confirmed in August 2024 that Control 2 was in its production readiness stage, and in February of this year, it finally entered full production. Control 2‘s full production phase is expected to last at least 15 months, and according to Remedy’s 2025 annual report, it could even last up to 26 months. That’s quite the wait, but FBC: Firebreak is here to offer a stopgap.

FBC: Firebreak sees players suit up as the titular team of expendable Federal Bureau of Control grunts sent to fix the Oldest House’s biggest problems. Given the game’s multiplayer focus, FBC: Firebreak is quite light on story content. But there are still a few intriguing pieces of world-building that could set the stage for Control 2‘s narrative.

FBC: Firebreak’s First Update Is a Great First Step

FBC: Firebreak has had a rather disappointing launch, but Remedy’s first update could be a sign of a much brighter future for the co-op shooter.

FBC: Firebreak Could Contain a Few Teases for Control 2’s Story

The Oldest House is Divided

Most of FBC: Firebreak‘s story content takes the form of text documents strewn across the game’s loading screens. A few of these in-game letters are either addressed directly to Control protagonist Director Jesse Faden, or speak about her, and they aren’t too kind. One FBC: Firebreak letter reads:

Jesse Faden? More like Jesse Fade-OUT already, please! As directors go, I say “boo,” madam. Boo to you. Everyone agrees that how this crisis is being handled is just TERRIBLE. What the FBC needs is a return to the days of suited men of will and aptitude. Men like Zachariah Trench! Broderick Northmoor! If anyone else feels the same way, I do wish they would reach out to me directly so we can talk about it face-to-face in private!

Another letter, from Simon Arish, expresses the character’s concerns over Hank Flowers’ new Firebreak team and the jobs they’ve been sent to in off-limits areas of the Oldest House. It seems like there’s some division among the management teams at the FBC, and that friction could play a role in Control 2‘s story. Perhaps the FBC splinters into separate factions that Jesse needs to reunite in the sequel.

The Hiss Are Still Invading

The subject matter of many of FBC: Firebreak‘s in-game letters, and the primary plot point of the entire game, is that the Hiss are still invading the Oldest House. It’s been six years since the events of Control, and despite Jesse closing the gateway to their dimension, the Hiss are somehow still finding new people to corrupt and new areas of the Oldest House to infect.

The inclusion of the Hiss in FBC: Firebreak makes the game feel like a step back for the Remedy Connected Universe, as nothing has changed or progressed in the years since Control‘s ending. But Remedy could just be stalling for time. Control 2 could see the Hiss progress into more of a significant and varied threat, which would tie in nicely with Alan Wake 2‘s Lake House DLC.

In Alan Wake 2‘s Lake House DLC, players can find Dylan Faden locked in a containment cell in the Oldest House’s Panopticon. Though he’s initially fine, he ends his conversation with Agent Estevez by exclaiming, “Tell Jesse I tried,” and he’s seemingly corrupted by the Hiss once again. Players are then shown brief flashes of the city of New York being infected by the Hiss, potentially teasing the direction of Control 2‘s story. FBC: Firebreak‘s ongoing Hiss invasion lines up with that theory.

Jesse Faden Might Be Otherwise Engaged

At the end of Control, it’s heavily implied that Jesse Faden is off to personally cleanse the Oldest House of the Hiss threat. It’s a little odd, then, that six years later the Hiss invasion is still ongoing, especially given Jesse’s paranatural abilities and her personal connection to the hostile entity. It’s also implied in FBC: Firebreak that Jesse hasn’t been seen actively on the field for quite some time. One explanation for this could be that she’s busy dealing with an even greater threat, perhaps one we’ll see in Control 2.