FBC: Firebreak News

[p]Today, we are releasing Open House, a Major update for FBC: Firebreak.[/p][p][/p][p]This update introduces new arenas inspired by locations from Control for the Endless Shift game mode, gameplay improvements, balance updates, Twitch Drops Armor Sets, and lastly, the new Friend’s Pass, which allows your friends to join your game sessions even if they haven’t bought FBC: Firebreak.[/p][p][/p][p]Before we get into more details about that and the content of the update, we are also sharing an important status update about the future of FBC: Firebreak. [/p][p][/p][p]Open House will be the last Major update for FBC: Firebreak. We won't be adding new playable content after this update.[/p]

• [p]FBC: Firebreak will stay online and continue to be playable for years to come [/p]
  • [p]We have done engineering work to ensure we can sustain the upkeep of the relay servers when the player volume is lower. [/p][p][/p]
• [p]To ensure there are players to play with (this being a multiplayer game and all!), we are introducing the Friend’s Pass [/p]
  • [p]Anyone who has bought FBC: Firebreak can invite their friends to play with them, for free. All they have to do is download the Friends Pass version, which is the full game with some limitations (shown as “Free Trial” version on console storefronts), and they can matchmake with the bought version of the game, as long as the person who bought the game invites their friends to play. This works across platforms. [/p][p][/p]

• [p]We are permanently lowering the price of the game to: [/p]
  • [p]Base Game $19.99 / €19.99 / £16.74  [/p]
  • [p]Deluxe Edition $29.99 / €29.99 / £26.74 [/p]
  • [p]On Steam, the game is also 20% off until the end of March.[/p][p][/p]

[p][/p][p]We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has played, supported, and shared feedback on FBC: Firebreak. As Remedy’s first online multiplayer game and our first self-published title, it has been quite the journey for the studio and a valuable learning experience for the teams involved.[/p][p][/p][p]While Open House is the last major content update, the game will remain online and fully playable and get patches if those are required.[/p][p][/p][p]We hope players continue jumping in to tackle crises together for a long time to come. [/p][p][/p][p]“FBC: Firebreak was built by a team fueled by passion and experimentation. That spirit shaped the game, but the moments that brought it to life were the ones that players created together,” says Game Director Mike Kayatta. [/p][p][/p][p]“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. That's why the relay servers are staying up, the price is going down, and a Friend's Pass is going in. From all of us on the team, thank you for your own passion and experimentation, and we'll see you in there,” he continues. [/p][p][/p][p]You can read the full patch notes in a separate post here. [/p][p][/p][p]Now, onto a detailed breakdown of everything Open House brings with it…  [/p][p][/p][h3]New: Friend’s Pass[/h3][p][/p][p]Friend’s Pass lets you play FBC: Firebreak with friends even if they don’t own the game.[/p][p] [/p][p]If one player owns the full version of FBC: Firebreak, up to two friends can join their session through an invite by downloading the free Friend’s Pass version (Free Trial on consoles) of the game. There’s no limit on these invites. [/p][p][/p][p]All gameplay features and progression are available to Friend’s Pass players, but there are a few limitations: [/p]

• [p]They cannot start a game without joining an existing lobby [/p]

• [p]They cannot create their own lobbies [/p]

[p][/p][p]How to Play With Friends [/p]

• [p]One player owns FBC: Firebreak [/p]

• [p]Friends install Friend’s Pass version of the game (Free Trial on consoles) [/p]

• [p]Send them a party code or platform invite [/p]

• [p]Play the full game together [/p]

[p][/p][p]You can find detailed instructions on how to access Friend’s Pass here. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]New Endless Shift Arenas from Control [/h3][p][/p][p]Open House introduces five new arenas inspired by locations from the original Control, now playable in Endless Shift. [/p][p][/p][p]These locations from the Oldest House have been reimagined as combat arenas: [/p]

• [p]Cafeteria (Executive Sector) [/p]

• [p]Aircon Room (Maintenance Sector) [/p]

• [p]Ranger HQ (Maintenance Sector) [/p]

• [p]Turntable (Containment Sector) [/p]

• [p]Ritual Lobby (Research Sector) [/p]

[p][/p][p]These arenas are available exclusively in the Endless Shift mode. [/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p][h3]Gameplay Improvements and Balancing[/h3][p][/p][p]Open House also includes several gameplay improvements and balance changes aimed at making combat clearer, smoother, and more flexible. [/p][p][/p][p]Harmful Condition Improvements [/p][p]Harmful Conditions such as Burning, Glowing, and Shocked now linger for a much shorter time. Their HUD indicators have also been moved to a more visible location, so it’s easier to notice when you are affected. [/p][p][/p][p]These adjustments make Harmful Conditions easier to manage while keeping them dangerous during combat. [/p][p][/p][p]Healing Improvements [/p][p]Healing clarity has been improved across the game. All water sources now restore a small amount of health, including sprinkler water. Showers still remain the primary healing source. [/p][p][/p][h3]Perk Equipping Overhaul [/h3][p][/p][p]The Perk system has been streamlined. Players can now equip each perk only once, and the game automatically applies the highest level of that perk you have unlocked. [/p][p][/p][p]This significantly expands build possibilities. Instead of needing to equip multiple perk levels to access the highest one, players can now equip up to nine level-3 perks, enabling much stronger and more flexible loadouts. [/p][p][/p][h3]Weapon Balance Changes [/h3][p][/p][p]Weapon balance has been updated so that all weapons perform more consistently across difficulty levels. Several weapons have received buffs and enemy health and scaling have been adjusted to keep combat challenging while giving players more viable weapon choices. [/p][p][/p][h3]Additional Quality-of-Life Improvements [/h3][p][/p][p]Several smaller gameplay improvements are also included: [/p]

• [p]Revive speed increased from 5 seconds to 3 seconds [/p]

• [p]Crawling speed increased when downed [/p]

• [p]Closest Neutralizer is now always marked in the HUD [/p]

[p][/p][p]Full details about these and other adjustments can be found in the separate patch notes. [/p][p][/p][h3]Twitch Drops Are Back [/h3][p][/p][p]You can earn exclusive FBC: Firebreak cosmetics through the Open House Twitch Drops campaign. [/p][p][/p][p]From March 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT / 5:00 PM GMT until April 12, 2026, at 1:59 PM PDT / 9:59 PM GMT, watch a total of 3 hours of FBC: Firebreak streams on Twitch to unlock: [/p]

• [p]Researcher Armor Set (Threshold Revision) [/p]

• [p]Overseer Armor Set (Threshold Revision) [/p]

[p][/p][p]These cosmetic sets give you new looks to take into the field against paranatural anomalies and the Hiss. [/p][p][/p][p]How to Participate [/p]

1. [p]Launch FBC: Firebreak [/p]

1. [p]Open Settings [/p]

1. [p]Select Gameplay [/p]

1. [p]Scroll to the bottom [/p]

1. [p]Choose Connect Twitch Account or scan the QR code [/p]

[p][/p][p]You will be directed to the Twitch Drops website to link your Twitch account with your FBC: Firebreak account. [/p][p][/p][p]Once linked, watch streams in the FBC: Firebreak category that have Drops enabled. Channels with Drops active display a notification at the top of chat. [/p][p][/p][p]To earn both armor sets, watch streams for a combined total of 3 hours. [/p][p][/p][p]Make sure to link your accounts within 14 days after the campaign ends. After that deadline, we won’t be able to grant the rewards.[/p][p][/p][p][/p][p][/p]

[p]PlayStation 5: 1.009.001 
Xbox Series X|S: 1.9.1.0  
PC: 1.9.1 
Windows PC: 1.9.1.0 [/p][p] [/p][h2]Overview[/h2][p][/p][p]The Open House update brings a number of gameplay improvements to FBC: Firebreak, including changes to Harmful Conditions and healing, a major overhaul to the Perk equipping system, weapon balance adjustments, and several quality-of-life improvements. This update also includes a wide range of bug fixes across gameplay systems, UI, and missions. [/p][p] [/p][p]You can read the full update notes here.[/p][p][/p][h2]Patch Notes [/h2][p][/p][h3]New Feature: Friend’s Pass [/h3][p][/p][p]Added Friend’s Pass [/p]

• [p]Players who own FBC: Firebreak can now invite friends using the free Friend’s Pass version (Free Trial on consoles) to join their sessions and experience the game together.  [/p]

• [p]You can find detailed instructions on how to access Friend’s Pass here. [/p]

[p]New Maps for Endless Shift [/p]

• [p]Added five new Endless Shift arenas inspired by locations from Control:  [/p]

• [p]Cafeteria, Aircon Room, Ranger HQ, Turntable, and Ritual Lobby. [/p][p][/p]

[h3]Gameplay Changes [/h3][p][/p][p]Harmful Conditions and Healing Improvements [/p][p]Harmful Conditions have been adjusted to make them clearer, less frustrating, and easier to manage during combat. [/p][p][/p][p]Harmful Conditions [/p]

• [p]Burning, Glowing, and Shocked now linger on the player for a much shorter duration.  [/p]

• [p]HUD indicators for all Conditions (Harmful and Beneficial) have been moved from the bottom corner of the screen to a more visible location. [/p]

• [p]Damage values for Harmful Conditions have been rebalanced, so they remain dangerous but easier to manage due to the shorter duration. [/p]

• [p]Glow buildup speed has been significantly reduced. [/p]

[p]Leech Slime (Infestation) [/p]

• [p]Leech Slime is now treated as a proper Condition with its own HUD indicator. [/p]

• [p]The Condition now lingers significantly longer. [/p]

• [p]Water no longer removes Leech Slime. [/p]

• [p]Reminder: Being covered in slime protects players from Glowing. Slime is good for you! [/p]

[p] Papered and Moldy Harmful Conditions (Paper Chase and Outbreak) [/p]

• [p]When these Harmful Conditions reach maximum intensity, the screen will now gradually fade to black. [/p]

• [p]This provides a clearer warning that the player must remove the Harmful Condition before it becomes fatal. [/p]

[p]Pink Harmful Condition (Frequency Shift) [/p]

• [p]The Pink Harmful Condition has been made significantly more dangerous. [/p]

• [p]When affected, being hit by gunfire or melee attacks will trigger small explosions. [/p]

• [p]When the Harmful Condition reaches maximum intensity, it will detonate in a powerful explosion, damaging enemies and downing players. [/p]

[p]Healing Changes [/p]

• [p]All water sources now restore a tiny amount of health, including sprinkler water. [/p]

• [p]Showers still remain the primary healing source. [/p]

• [p]The health bar now displays a more visible effect when the player is being healed. [/p]

[p]Heat Conversion Gun Mod [/p]

• [p]Healing provided by the mod has been increased. [/p]

• [p]The mod now builds Fire status faster when used. [/p]

• [p]The effect of this mod doesn’t kill you as easily anymore, but players must still be careful when using it at low health and catching fire. [/p]

[p]Hot Shot Perk [/p]

• [p]Now better indicates the that the enemy killed by the Cold Harmful Condition transfers the heat as Burning to the enemies around it.  [/p]

[p]Asbestos Hands Perk [/p]

• [p]The perk has been updated so that pressing the wrong button during Emergency repairs still progresses the repair. (The in-game description still reflects the old functionality.) [/p][p][/p]

[h3]Perk Equipping Overhaul [/h3][p][/p][p]The Perk equipping system has been redesigned to simplify loadouts and allow more build flexibility. [/p]

• [p]Players can now equip only one instance of each perk. [/p]

• [p]Each perk automatically activates at the highest level the player has unlocked. [/p]

[p]Example: [/p]

• [p]If you have unlocked Sprinting Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3, equipping the perk now automatically grants Level 3 and takes only one Mod slot. [/p]

[p]Note: Because Level 3 Perks can resonate their effects to other players, up to 18 Perk effects can now be active simultaneously. The HUD can display only six of these effects at a time though. [/p][p][/p][h3]Developer Note: [/h3][p]This is a significant change to how Perk builds work. [/p][p]Previously, players had to equip lower-tier versions of a perk in order to access higher-tier ones. This limited how many high-level perks could be active at once. [/p][p]With the new system, players can equip up to nine Level 3 perks simultaneously, enabling much stronger and more flexible builds. [/p][p]We’re looking forward to seeing the new combinations players come up with. [/p][p][/p][h3]Weapon Balance [/h3][p][/p][p]Heavy weapons (Rotary Cannon, Scattergun and Semi-automatic Rifle) were previously outperforming other weapon types, particularly on higher difficulty levels. We have rebalanced weapons and adjusted enemy scaling to create a more consistent experience across the arsenal. [/p][p][/p][p]Changes include: [/p]

• [p]Buffs to several underperforming weapons [/p]

• [p]Adjustments to enemy health, armor, and difficulty scaling [/p]

• [p]Improvements to grenade damage and utility, particularly Gunpowder grenades (it got a big buff, try it out!) [/p]

[p]The goal is for all weapons to feel viable across all difficulty levels, while still maintaining their unique identities. [/p][p][/p][h3]Quality-of-Life Improvements [/h3]

• [p]Closest Neutralizer is now always marked in the HUD [/p]

• [p]Crawling speed while downed has been significantly increased [/p]

• [p]Revive time reduced from 5 seconds to 3 seconds [/p]

[p] [/p][h3]Bug Fixes[/h3][p][/p][p]Gameplay [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where Hot Fix Recovery Objective heaters could set players on fire while appearing invisible. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where players could not start certain Emergency minigames while holding a carriable object. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where holding LMB or RMB prevented Emergency minigames from starting. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where Blackrock grenades sometimes failed to destroy Corrupted Items. [/p]

[p]Perks and Abilities [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where players could become unable to move and lose their character model after being revived by the Night Terrors perk while transforming into a Mold Walker or a Shuffler. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the Hunter Gatherer perk gathered ammo faster from broken stations than repaired ones. [/p]

[p]Endless Shift Mode [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where equipped weapon skins did not carry over into Endless Shift sessions. [/p]

• [p]Fixed missing UI elements when players joined a Endless Shift session during the “Prepare for Wave” phase. [/p]

[p] Equipment, Tools, and Altered Augments [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the Teapot Augment timer stopped running when switching weapons. [/p]

[p] Tutorial and Progression [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where task progress did not update when repairing the Gamma Emitter with the Wrench in the tutorial. [/p]

[p]UI and Visual Fixes [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where placing Sprays on bullet holes could produce corrupted textures. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where equipping augments caused the “Next Item” prompt and toolbelt highlight to disappear. [/p]

[p]Menus and System [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where intro videos could not be skipped when booting up the game on PlayStation 5. [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where grenades were not centered in preview/inspect mode. [/p]

[p]Achievements [/p]

• [p]Updated outdated description criteria for the Steam achievements “What a Day” and “OSHA Compliant.” [/p]

• [p]Corrected incorrect distance information in the description for the “Hands-Off Approach” achievement. [/p]

[p]Cosmetics [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where character fists could clip through armor while using certain poses in the customization menu. [/p]

[p]Additional Fixes [/p]

• [p]Various minor localization fixes. [/p]

[p] [/p][p]List of currently known issues not related to this patch here: 
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2272540/discussions/0/500576489694044746/[/p][p] [/p][p] [/p]

What is a Control game? It's a fairly reasonable question to ask, as the only follow-up there's been to the original 2019 game in the intervening years (apart from some DLC) was FBC: Firebreak, a live service FPS spin-off that… well, you know. And then last year Remedy revealed what was long dubbed to be Control 2 is actually Control Resonant, and that we won't be playing as Jesse this time around, oh and also, it's a Devil May Cry-esque action game. So with all these shifts, in a new interview some of the leads behind the sequel have shared their perspective on what a Control game actually is.

Read more

[p]To celebrate the launch of Major Update Rogue Protocol, FBC Firebreak is available to try for free this weekend from right now until January 25th! [/p][p][/p][p]Rogue Protocol features Endless Shift, a brand-new, roguelite game mode that fundamentally changes the way you play and progress in the game. On top of that, the update brings with it weapon inspect animations, new cosmetics, and many bug fixes.[/p][p]And if a free weekend wasn't enough, we also have a Double XP event active in the game this weekend which means all XP toward Reputation and Kit Levels is doubled.[/p][p]Lastly, FBC Firebreak is 60% off on Steam until February 2nd.[/p][p]Now is the perfect time to jump into FBC Firebreak with some friends and kick some Hiss butt![/p][p]It's time to clean House.[/p][p][/p][p][dynamiclink][/dynamiclink][/p]

[p]PlayStation 5: 1.008.002 
Xbox Series X|S: 1.8.2.0  
PC: 1.8.2 
Windows PC: 1.8.2.0 [/p][p] [/p][p]Overview [/p][p]This hotfix delivers multiple fixes for Endless Shift, alongside bug fixes to the Tutorial, Requisitions, UI elements, and general gameplay issues. [/p][p][/p][h3]Patch notes [/h3][p][/p][p]General [/p]

• [p]Fixed a clipping issue with Nahti and Ranger Gloves when using two-handed weapons [/p]

• [p]Added instruction videos in the Loadout menu for the new weapons (Scattergun, Rotary Cannon, Semi-Automatic Rifle) and grenades (Freeze, Black Rock, Healing) introduced in Major Update Breakout [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the host could not switch a public party to private (or vice versa) from the pause menu during an active Crisis [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where outlines on pinged items could sometimes disappear [/p]

[p][/p][p]Enemies [/p]

• [p]Increased the damage the Hiss Breaker takes from armor-piercing weapons [/p]

[p][/p][p]Requisitions [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where the Purchase button could fail to display correctly [/p]

[p][/p][p]Tutorial [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where players could be blocked from starting a Crisis after losing their internet connection during their first Tutorial playthrough [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where reconnecting a controller during Menu Tutorials could break tutorial progression [/p]

[p][/p][p]Endless Shift [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue that could occur when reaching five levels of the Corruption Enhancement, where players could not collect any more Corruption [/p]

• [p]Removed instances where placeholder text could appear [/p]

• [p]Fixed the Backdraft Enhancement so it now correctly increases damage [/p]

• [p]Fixed the Stingy Enhancement so the first reroll is now always free, as intended [/p]

• [p]Fixed an issue where late-joining players could not choose a new weapon if they joined during the preparation phase for wave 9 or 17 [/p]

• [p]Fixed text alignment issues in the “Choose New Weapon” phase in certain localizations [/p]

• [p]Fixed the Snake Skin Enhancement so it now works as intended, granting passive healing while reducing shower healing [/p]

• [p]Fixed a rare issue where another player could appear downed while the Healing power-up was active, even though they were not [/p]

[p] [/p][p]List of currently known issues: 
https://steamcommunity.com/app/2272540/discussions/0/500576489694044746/[/p][p] [/p]