Remedy Entertainment will focus its future games more clearly on commercially viable structures and, as part of this scaling strategy, will completely forgo free-to-play and mobile experiments.
The Finnish studio is thus drawing consequences from the sales figures of “Alan Wake 2” and “Control” falling short of expectations, as well as the structural problems of the multiplayer project “FBC: Firebreak”.
Commercial deficit despite critical acclaim
According to Remedy CEO Thomas Gaudechon, the Alan Wake and Control brands have demonstrated their economic potential. The Game Business The studio's creative identity is not up for debate. The problem lies in marketing and scaling its products. Remedy has historically operated as an auteur studio with high narrative quality but limited market reach.
This discrepancy is to be resolved through a strict franchise structure. Specifically, this means greater reach without compromising the studio's style. The focus is on international expansion and a strengthened cross-media strategy, realized through the partnership with Annapurna in the film and television sector. Cult hits are no longer enough for the studio; the goal is mainstream success.
Rejection of the mobile market
Remedy also differentiates itself from the dominant growth models in the gaming industry. There will be no free-to-play mobile game. These segments require high production rates and a design that focuses on long-term player engagement rather than linear storytelling.
The studio is thus foregoing potentially high revenue volumes in the mobile sector in order to protect its brand identity as a premium developer. Mobile platforms will only be considered in the future if they directly extend an existing core IP, rather than serving as a standalone monetization platform. Premium sales remain the primary business model.
Lessons from FBC: Firebreak
The cooperative title "FBC: Firebreak" revealed internal shortcomings in its departure from the traditional single-player focus. The project failed due to the shift in production logic, which for live-service titles requires continuous content rather than a self-contained, cohesive narrative. Furthermore, its market positioning and player expectations were unsuccessful.
The consequence is a reduction in risky experiments outside of core competencies. Multiplayer structures and community management presented the studio with greater organizational hurdles than anticipated.
Remedy isn't being reinvented, but rather restructured for greater profitability. For players, this means the familiar single-player quality will be maintained, as the studio scales back risky service experiments. However, the "Alan Wake" and "Control" franchises will gain greater market presence through longer product lifecycles and cross-platform distribution.
Remedy is a no-go... Control, Quantum... were on Game Pass... so many opportunities... and they ruin every game... they start off cool and it becomes annoying, just shoot, shoot... the story disappears... shoot, shoot... hey Suomi, look to the black metal origins... I love Avalanche and Panau... Turisas, Moonsorrow Impaled... Trolls
Alen Wake 2 was one of the best games I played on PS5. It's a shame more people didn't buy it. Games like that are right up my alley.
As pray says, sometimes plain, simple entertainment is enough; it doesn't have to be Hamlet. If you're always playing pseudo-intellectual games, you shouldn't be surprised if you don't reach the mainstream. Of course, the mainstream has its problems too.
The games simply need to improve in terms of quality, believability, and overall quality. It's not like they've made tons of mobile games up until now and that's the studio's problem. On the contrary, they're always making experimental games, advertising them as if they're the absolute best thing ever, and then it's still some kind of unprofessional, crazy, and often poorly thought-out mess of different elements that somehow don't add up to a cohesive game.
Alan Wake was kind of cool and kind of just plain bad. Alan Wake 2 also has so many eye-rolling moments right from the start. It's just impossible to take the game seriously, and I wonder if any care was put into developing or designing the world, the plot, and the lore?!
Firebreak was simply a stupid idea from the start, not courageous at all, but just an attempt to make a service game to milk it for all it was worth. Only marginally better than mobile games.
Simply raise the quality level and don't always try to be crazy and unique.