Treatment guarantees a 'main replace' for FBC: Firebreak however not till late September, which doesn't appear nice
The co-op shooter FBC: Firebreak is struggling badly, however Treatment is not giving up on it. As we speak the studio introduced plans for its first “main replace,” set to reach in late September, that it hopes will make the sport extra accessible to newcomers, and extra participating for veterans.
FBC: Firebreak stumbled out of the gate, with severe steadiness issues and an actual lack of content material. “The excellent news,” we mentioned in our 60% evaluate, “is a lot of Firebreaks issues are fixable.” The unhealthy information, fairly merely, is that it wants a complete lot of fixin’. Fast points have been addressed by way of a number of patches launched in comparatively brief order, however this replace goals to get all the way down to extra substantial issues.
“The weeks since launch have given us an enormous quantity of suggestions, from you, the neighborhood, in addition to opinions, and the information we’re taking a look at,” Treatment wrote on Steam.
“Primarily based on our earlier improvement plans and taking all of the suggestions on board, we’re enthusiastic about what our first Main Replace, focused for a late September launch, will deliver to FBC: Firebreak. Finally, we have to get you enthusiastic about what’s coming.”
It has been one month since FBC: Firebreak launched so now is a superb time for us to debate what’s coming within the first Main Replace in late September. Learn our newest weblog put up for the total particulars: retailer.steampowered.com/information/app/227…
#FBCFirebreak— @remedygames.com (@remedygames.com.bsky.social) 2025-07-18T23:06:56.889Z
That is going to be a significant problem. FBC: Firebreak’s concurrent participant numbers on Steam have tanked—at the moment simply 34 persons are enjoying—and whereas the sport’s presence on Recreation Go implies that might solely be a small portion of the entire, it is nonetheless worrisome: Even when Steam solely represents 1% of your whole viewers, which means you’ve got obtained simply 3,400 folks enjoying throughout all platforms. That quantity on Steam alone wouldn’t be good.
So there’s a whole lot of floor to make up, however Treatment has clear concepts about what it desires to do to make it occur. Higher onboarding for brand new gamers is a precedence—Treatment mentioned it is “seen many gamers come into the sport and go away inside the first hour”—as is healthier gunplay: One of many modifications within the works is a brand new modding system for weapons that can give gamers the flexibility to tweak their weapons. “Generic” upgrades are additionally being dropped, and gamers will start the sport “with a playable and highly effective model of every part a Firebreak wants.”
Clearance and Corruption Ranges, which requires gamers to play by means of chunks of ranges a number of occasions (and really shortly turns into a drag) are additionally being dropped in favor of “pre-made, thrilling (you’ll must take our phrase for that for now) variations of Job experiences that may nonetheless be brief or lengthy or crammed with Corrupted Gadgets, but additionally a complete lot extra.” Treatment can also be “reevaluating our matchmaking circulate” to supply for extra and higher matches. Extra jobs and elevated randomization are additionally on the way in which.
It appears like Treatment is aware of what it desires to do, and as a fan of Management I might like to see it occur. However one of many greatest challenges dealing with the sport, other than gameplay points, is straightforward indifference. FBC: Firebreak hit an all-time peak concurrent participant rely on Steam of simply 1,992 at launch, which to me does not level to a terrific mass of curiosity within the sport within the first place, points or not.
Perhaps a significant rework, and a few severe persistence, will end in constructive word-of-mouth and assist flip issues round. However even when every part is introduced as much as snuff, whether or not FBC: Firebreak will appeal to a sustainable participant base stays a really massive open query.