Remedy has expressed disappointment regarding the sales performance of its live-service shooter, FBC: Firebreak, particularly noting its struggles on Steam.

During the company’s recent financial report for the first half of the year, CEO Tero Virtala announced that Remedy’s revenues had grown by 63.5%, largely thanks to the release of FBC: Firebreak.

The game’s launch was technically successful, attracting over a million players within the first ten days. However, most of those players accessed the game on Xbox Series X/S and PS5, where it was offered from day one via subscription services. Conversely, the game did not perform well on Steam, which was intended to be its main sales platform for PC users.

Virtala acknowledged the issues with the initial player experience and mission structure, which led to a significant number of early drop-offs and many negative reviews. He mentioned, “As players engaged more with the game and we rolled out updates that improved the experience, the overall sentiment in reviews began to shift positively.”

Despite the initial enthusiasm, Virtala noted, “We were not satisfied with the sales during the launch phase of FBC: Firebreak. Thus far, its commercial performance has primarily benefitted from Xbox and PlayStation subscription agreements. A significant portion of the revenue from those deals will still be recorded throughout the contract duration.”

The performance of FBC: Firebreak is particularly significant for Remedy as it marks the studio’s first self-published title and serves as a spin-off of the acclaimed single-player game, Control.

Following the game’s debut, Remedy announced that it had received fan feedback “loud and clear” and was dedicated to making improvements. A month later, they recognized the onboarding challenges faced by players and noted that patches had been implemented for enhancements.

“FBC: Firebreak was designed with the intention of evolving over time,” Virtala stated in the report. “Despite a challenging launch, we believe we have a solid foundation to build upon. Players who engaged with the game for over an hour generally provided positive feedback, indicating that the core experience is enjoyable.”

A significant update is scheduled for September, which Remedy hopes will boost interest in FBC: Firebreak. “We are committed to further developing FBC: Firebreak, interacting with the community, and expanding the game,” Virtala added.

Additionally, the report confirmed that development of Control 2 is progressing well and is on track to meet its upcoming milestones, with emphasis on gameplay, environments, and missions. The remakes of Max Payne 1 & 2 are also in full swing.

Lifetime sales for Control have exceeded 5 million copies. Earlier this year, the publishing, distribution, and marketing rights for the game were returned to Remedy, resulting in favorable sales outcomes.

Also, Alan Wake 2 has been performing steadily, earning royalties, although no specific sales figures have been released. It was noted as Remedy’s fastest-selling title but only became profitable a year post-launch when sales reached the 2 million mark.

“This game stands out as a unique venture due to its audacious take on the concept of work,” reads the review of FBC: Firebreak.