Today, we are releasing Open House, a Major update for FBC: Firebreak.
This update introduces new arenas inspired by locations from Control for the Endless Shift game mode, gameplay improvements, balance updates, Twitch Drops Armor Sets, and lastly, the new Friend’s Pass, which allows your friends to join your game sessions even if they haven’t bought FBC: Firebreak.
Before we get into more details about that and the content of the update, we are also sharing an important status update about the future of FBC: Firebreak.
Open House will be the last Major update for FBC: Firebreak. We won't be adding new playable content after this update.
FBC: Firebreak will stay online and continue to be playable for years to come
To ensure there are players to play with (this being a multiplayer game and all!), we are introducing the Friend’s Pass
Anyone who has bought FBC: Firebreak can invite their friends to play with them, for free. All they have to do is download the Friends Pass version, which is the full game with some limitations (shown as “Free Trial” version on console storefronts), and they can matchmake with the bought version of the game, as long as the person who bought the game invites their friends to play. This works across platforms.
We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has played, supported, and shared feedback on FBC: Firebreak. As Remedy’s first online multiplayer game and our first self-published title, it has been quite the journey for the studio and a valuable learning experience for the teams involved.
While Open House is the last major content update, the game will remain online and fully playable and get patches if those are required.
We hope players continue jumping in to tackle crises together for a long time to come.
“FBC: Firebreak was built by a team fueled by passion and experimentation. That spirit shaped the game, but the moments that brought it to life were the ones that players created together,” says Game Director Mike Kayatta.
“We want to make sure those moments can continue for the players who are already here, and for anyone else looking for a high-energy, low-pressure game night with friends. That's why the relay servers are staying up, the price is going down, and a Friend's Pass is going in. From all of us on the team, thank you for your own passion and experimentation, and we'll see you in there,” he continues.
You can read the full patch notes in a separate post here.
Now, onto a detailed breakdown of everything Open House brings with it…
New: Friend’s Pass
Friend’s Pass lets you play FBC: Firebreak with friends even if they don’t own the game.
If one player owns the full version of FBC: Firebreak, up to two friends can join their session through an invite by downloading the free Friend’s Pass version (Free Trial on consoles) of the game. There’s no limit on these invites.
All gameplay features and progression are available to Friend’s Pass players, but there are a few limitations:
How to Play With Friends
You can find detailed instructions on how to access Friend’s Pass here.
New Endless Shift Arenas from Control
Open House introduces five new arenas inspired by locations from the original Control, now playable in Endless Shift.
These locations from the Oldest House have been reimagined as combat arenas:
These arenas are available exclusively in the Endless Shift mode.
Gameplay Improvements and Balancing
Open House also includes several gameplay improvements and balance changes aimed at making combat clearer, smoother, and more flexible.
Harmful Condition Improvements
Harmful Conditions such as Burning, Glowing, and Shocked now linger for a much shorter time. Their HUD indicators have also been moved to a more visible location, so it’s easier to notice when you are affected.
These adjustments make Harmful Conditions easier to manage while keeping them dangerous during combat.
Healing Improvements
Healing clarity has been improved across the game. All water sources now restore a small amount of health, including sprinkler water. Showers still remain the primary healing source.
Perk Equipping Overhaul
The Perk system has been streamlined. Players can now equip each perk only once, and the game automatically applies the highest level of that perk you have unlocked.
This significantly expands build possibilities. Instead of needing to equip multiple perk levels to access the highest one, players can now equip up to nine level-3 perks, enabling much stronger and more flexible loadouts.
Weapon Balance Changes
Weapon balance has been updated so that all weapons perform more consistently across difficulty levels. Several weapons have received buffs and enemy health and scaling have been adjusted to keep combat challenging while giving players more viable weapon choices.
Additional Quality-of-Life Improvements
Several smaller gameplay improvements are also included:
Full details about these and other adjustments can be found in the separate patch notes.
Twitch Drops Are Back
You can earn exclusive FBC: Firebreak cosmetics through the Open House Twitch Drops campaign.
From March 17, 2026, at 10:00 AM PDT / 5:00 PM GMT until April 12, 2026, at 1:59 PM PDT / 9:59 PM GMT, watch a total of 3 hours of FBC: Firebreak streams on Twitch to unlock:
These cosmetic sets give you new looks to take into the field against paranatural anomalies and the Hiss.
How to Participate
Launch FBC: Firebreak
Open Settings
Select Gameplay
Scroll to the bottom
Choose Connect Twitch Account or scan the QR code
You will be directed to the Twitch Drops website to link your Twitch account with your FBC: Firebreak account.
Once linked, watch streams in the FBC: Firebreak category that have Drops enabled. Channels with Drops active display a notification at the top of chat.
To earn both armor sets, watch streams for a combined total of 3 hours.
Make sure to link your accounts within 14 days after the campaign ends. After that deadline, we won’t be able to grant the rewards.
