Lead: At The Game Awards 2025, Remedy Entertainment revealed Control: Resonant, a follow-up to the studio’s 2019 Game of the Year, Control. The new entry is scheduled for release in 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it shifts the player perspective from Jesse Faden to her younger brother, Dylan. The Hiss — the paranatural antagonist from the original — has escaped the Oldest House and spread into Manhattan, producing surreal, citywide distortions. Remedy frames Resonant as a different kind of successor, promising new combat, progression systems and a narrative that stands apart from the first game.
Key Takeaways
- Control: Resonant was announced at The Game Awards 2025 and is slated for release in 2026 on PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- The player now controls Dylan, Jesse Faden’s younger brother, seven years after events in the original; Dylan was taken by the Federal Bureau of Control at age 10 and fell into a coma after The Hiss attacked him.
- The Hiss has spread beyond the Oldest House into Manhattan, transforming the urban landscape with paranormal distortions as shown in the reveal trailer.
- Combat abandons Jesse’s transforming Service Weapon; Dylan wields a crude, shape-shifting melee tool called the Aberrant, paired with supernatural abilities for a close-quarters, movement-driven loop.
- Remedy emphasizes build customization and tactical progression systems, allowing players to combine melee forms and powers while remaining mobile.
- Players will encounter side quests, competing factions and enemies with paranatural attacks that can traverse the environment as quickly as the protagonist.
- Remedy says prior experience with Control is not required to understand Resonant’s story; the studio describes the two games as narrative siblings rather than direct sequels.
Background
Control, released in 2019 and honored by IGN as that year’s Game of the Year, established Remedy as a studio capable of blending supernatural fiction with tightly crafted action. The original centered on Jesse Faden’s takeover of the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC) and her struggle against an otherworldly invasion known as The Hiss, set inside the shifting, reality-bending headquarters called the Oldest House. The two games’ shared institutions — the FBC, paranatural objects and the Oldest House’s architecture — are foundation stones for the franchise’s lore.
Remedy has since expanded its approach to serialized storytelling, balancing standalone narratives with connective worldbuilding. The studio’s decision to relocate major action from a single, labyrinthine headquarters to a cityscape infected by The Hiss signals a deliberate change of scale. That change opens design possibilities for traversal, environmental set pieces and encounters that were more constrained in the original’s indoor setting.
Main Event
During The Game Awards 2025 presentation, Remedy released a cinematic and gameplay-adjacent trailer for Control: Resonant that showcased Manhattan folding and twisting under paranatural pressure. The footage makes clear the game takes place roughly seven years after the first title’s timeline and follows Dylan, Jesse Faden’s younger brother, who was taken into FBC custody at age 10 and later fell into a coma after being struck by The Hiss. The trailer juxtaposes urban vistas with impossible geometry, emphasizing environmental disruption as a core spectacle.
Gameplay details revealed alongside the trailer show a different combat identity. Instead of the Service Weapon — a transforming ranged firearm that defined Jesse’s toolkit — Dylan uses a melee-focused, shape-shifting implement called the Aberrant. Remedy described combat as “push-forward, fast, and proactive,” stressing movement, chase mechanics and the interplay of melee strikes with supernatural abilities.
Remedy also confirmed that Resonant will include deeper progression systems and build customization, permitting players to shape how Dylan combines Aberrant forms and powers. The studio said side quests and rival factions will populate the open sections of Manhattan infected by The Hiss, and that enemies will possess paranatural attacks and the ability to traverse the environment quickly, often matching the player’s mobility.
Analysis & Implications
The shift from Jesse to Dylan and from a Service Weapon-focused kit to a melee-centric tool represents a significant tonal and mechanical pivot for the franchise. For returning players, the change may produce mixed reactions: some will welcome the novel emphasis on close-quarters combat and movement, while others might miss the signature distance-and-paranormal hybrid that characterized the first game. Remedy appears to be prioritizing kinetic encounters that reward aggression and build synergy over the more methodical, gun-and-psi approach of Control (2019).
Positioning Resonant as a franchise sibling rather than a direct sequel gives Remedy narrative latitude: the team can craft a self-contained story while preserving continuity for fans. That approach reduces the barrier to entry for newcomers, which supports Remedy’s goal of expanding the audience. At the same time, it raises expectations for coherent lore integration; players who care about the FBC’s long-term arc will be closely watching how new revelations about Dylan and The Hiss tie back to the original.
From a market standpoint, launching on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S in 2026 aligns Resonant with current-generation hardware capacities, enabling larger, more dynamic environments such as an altered Manhattan. The melee-centric combat and emphasis on movement could draw comparisons to single-player action-adventure titles that blend weapon forms with powers; Remedy will need to differentiate Resonant’s systems to avoid appearing derivative while satisfying players who prefer tactical depth over spectacle.
Comparison & Data
| Title | Year | Protagonist | Signature Weapon | Primary Setting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | 2019 | Jesse Faden | Service Weapon (transforming ranged) | The Oldest House (FBC headquarters) |
| Control: Resonant (planned) | 2026 | Dylan | Aberrant (transforming melee) | Manhattan (spread of The Hiss) |
The table contrasts the two entries: Control focused on an indoor, labyrinthine headquarters and a transforming ranged weapon for Jesse, while Resonant moves the battleground into Manhattan and centers on a melee-first arsenal for Dylan. The change in setting implies larger, more open encounter design and a different pacing for combat sequences, while the protagonist swap invites fresh narrative perspectives within the same paranormal framework.
Reactions & Quotes
Remedy’s creative leadership framed combat as a core differentiator for Resonant. The team described the design as intentionally mobile and aggressive, asking players to combine weapon forms and powers while pursuing enemies through dynamic spaces.
“Our combat is quite unique, and it has that Control DNA. It’s push-forward, fast, and proactive.”
Mikael Kasurinen, Remedy (creative director)
Kasurinen’s comment highlights Remedy’s attempt to preserve the franchise’s identity while altering its rhythm. The emphasis on speed and proactive engagement signals a deliberate departure from more defensive or cover-based encounters; designers intend for players to master movement, timing and combinations of Aberrant attacks and paranormal abilities.
Remedy was equally explicit about the franchise’s broader direction and how Resonant relates to the original title. The studio characterized the two games as connected yet distinct creative projects.
“This is not a safe sequel.”
Mikael Kasurinen, Remedy (creative director)
That short formulation underscores Remedy’s willingness to take risks: new protagonist, new weapon archetype, expanded scope. For players and critics, the phrase will be a focal point for evaluating whether Resonant’s departures are successful innovations or unnecessary gambles.
Unconfirmed
- Exact release date in 2026 has not been specified; Remedy has only announced the target year.
- No official confirmation on whether Resonant includes multiplayer modes or post-launch live-service elements.
- Details about the depth of narrative crossovers with Control (2019) — beyond shared institutions and characters — remain unclear.
Bottom Line
Control: Resonant is a clear attempt by Remedy to expand the franchise’s scope and gameplay identity. By moving the action into a Hiss-infected Manhattan and recentering combat on a melee tool plus supernatural mobility, the studio is signaling a fresh approach rather than a safe retread. That will broaden appeal to players who favor kinetic, movement-driven action while challenging expectations held by fans of the original’s distinctive Service Weapon mechanics.
Key things to watch before release: Remedy’s next deep gameplay reveals to demonstrate how the Aberrant and power combinations work in extended play, the exact 2026 release date and technical performance targets for PC and current consoles. If Remedy balances novel combat systems with coherent storytelling and meaningful progression, Resonant could reinvigorate the brand and reach new players without alienating its established audience.