Remedy CEO Steps Down Following FBC: Firebreak's Sales Flop

Remedy Entertainment's CEO has stepped down, and the new leader of the studio behind Control and Alan Wake is now addressing investor concerns after FBC: Firebreak’s underwhelming sales led to a significant reduction in the company’s annual revenue outlook and the write-off of the game’s development costs.

In its latest quarterly earnings report, Remedy disclosed a €14.9 million ($17.4 million) impairment charge, reflecting nearly all of FBC: Firebreak’s development expenses and associated publishing and distribution rights.

Total revenue for the period fell 32% year-over-year to €12.2 million ($14.2 million), primarily due to lower development fees compared to the same time last year—when Remedy earned income from Annapurna for its work on Control 2. The company also updated its full-year financial expectations: while it previously anticipated growth in both revenue and operating profit, it now forecasts revenue growth but a negative operating profit. Specific figures were not provided.

Alongside these financial updates, CEO Tero Virtala has resigned after nine years in the role. Interim leadership has been assumed by board chairman Markus Mäki, who has stepped down as chairman and been succeeded by Henri Österlund.

In remarks to investors, Mäki affirmed that Remedy will continue developing features to enhance player value and remain committed to the shared roadmap for Firebreak—though future development efforts will be redirected elsewhere. He also sought to reassure stakeholders that Firebreak was not a complete failure:

“We have also found positive sides from FBC: Firebreak,” he said. “Our first multiplayer product launch was technically successful in a cross-platform environment, and our publishing team has built capabilities that will support the releases of our future self-published titles.”

FBC: Firebreak marked Remedy’s first self-published title. While the studio acknowledged its technical success, it previously admitted the game “underperformed” on Steam and expressed dissatisfaction with its commercial reception. In today’s earnings, Remedy noted that Breakpoint provided only marginal sales improvement.

We rated FBC: Firebreak 6/10, describing it as a “compelling co-op shooter that, despite its strong visuals, lacks the depth to sustain interest over time.”