FBC: Firebreak came out last June and is a commercial and critical failure through and through. Although we got a major update for the game on September 29, Remedy has revealed that it has failed to reverse the trend.
In its latest report to investors, the Finnish studio issued a “profit warning” for 2025 due to the poor sales of its cooperative PvE title. The company will suffer a non-cash impairment of €14.9 million. This amount is equivalent to the cost of developing and distributing the game.
While Remedy still expects its revenue to increase compared to the previous year, its operating profit (earnings before interest and taxes) will be negative. The studio did note an increase in sales and player statistics for FBC: Firebreak after the release of the “Breakpoint” update. However, internal commercial targets were not met.
Remedy CEO Tero Virtala said that his teams will continue to develop and improve the game by balancing future investments in the title. This means that we should probably not expect a major overhaul, which would be costly for the studio.
It’s always tough to see a game struggle, especially from a studio like Remedy that’s known for its creativity. Hopefully, they can learn from this experience and bounce back stronger in the future. Looking forward to seeing what they create next!
storytelling. It’s interesting to consider how high expectations can impact reception, especially when a studio has a strong track record. Hopefully, they can learn from this experience and come back even stronger with their next project.
You’re absolutely right about the impact of expectations on reception. It’s fascinating how a game’s marketing can create a certain narrative that doesn’t always align with the final product. This disconnect might have contributed to Firebreak’s struggles, highlighting the importance of managing player anticipation.