FBC Firebreak hits 1 million players propped by console subscribers despite mixed reviews

Remedy Entertainment’s debut into the multiplayer scene with FBC: Firebreak has been a mixed bag, to say the least. The game has achieved a major milestone, surpassing one million players across all platforms just a week after its June 17 release.

Remedy broke the news on their X handle, thanking all ‘Firebreakers’ and promising new content and fixes down the pipeline. While the overall player count seems impressive, the road to one million has been considerably bumpy.

FBC: Firebreak is a pivot from Remedy’s single-player IPs like Control and Alan Wake. The game’s tied to the Remedy Connected Universe, as players venture into the mysterious Oldest House, six years after the events of Control.

Hitting the one million mark comes with a catch. Much of the player surge is attributed to the game’s release on Xbox Game Pass and PlayStation Plus’s Extra tier. It’s not unreasonable to think that players would hop in for a quick session of FBC: Firebreak rather than committing to a full run.

This speculation is further supported by reports from SteamDB, which show that FBC: Firebreak currently has 78 players online (at the time of writing), with a 24-hour peak of 169. This marks a major drop from the all-time peak of 1,992 players reported 10 days ago. The game has received a “Mixed” review score on Steam, currently sitting at 1,511 user reviews, with 65.69% of them being positive.

The game has felt like a second job for most critics and users. The lack of tutorials, confusing progression, and matchmaking issues have been widely ridiculed. Some players reported finishing the in-game content within a day or two, leaving little reason to queue for another raid.

Players love the idea of an FPS set in the chaotic Remedy Connected Universe, but the execution seems to have users divided. Remedy has taken notice of the reviews and patched some issues. The studio has promised balance updates and new in-game content, including weapons, locations, and missions, later this year.

The million-player announcement, however, has sparked debate in the gaming community. Many question whether Remedy is counting unique logins, downloads, or active players. Some speculate that only a small number of the total players represent direct purchases, while the rest are trying out the game on Xbox Game Pass or PlayStation Plus.

FBC: Firebreak is suffering from a common case of “early access syndrome.” Remedy is currently incorporating feedback and prepping their next patch for FBC: Firebreak. But the real question is, will the studio pull off a late-clutch before the gaming community’s patience wears thin?