Control spin-off Project Condor will be a premium live service co-op game

26.03.2024 - 17:43 / thesixthaxis.com / Be A / Will

Remedy Entertainment has shared details on Project Condor, it’s upcoming multiplayer spin-off from the shared universe of Control and Alan Wake 2.

While there’s details in the annual report of the game’s budget of €25 million, the use of the internal Northlight and the platforms it’s coming to – PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC – the most interesting details here are about the game’s setting and what it will actually be. Finally some meaningful news since the game was announced back in 2021!

Firstly, the game is set in the Oldest House, as visited during the first Control. “After the Hiss Invasion, the Oldest House is under lockdown: a boiling pot of volatile and dangerous supernatural forces. Trapped within is the last vestige of the Federal Bureau of Control who will need to take a stand and push back to regain control. Desperate times require desperate measures. And everyone’s needed.”

This will be a co-op game, where your team will “face overwhelming enemies and obstacles, but by relying on their gear and each other, they will have a chance for survival.”

Condor will also be a live service game, but it won’t be free-to-play. Instead it will be a “service-based fixed price” game. They explain that “These are premium games that may have a lower initial price point but a long tail of revenue through updates, game expansions and potentially microtransactions. For these games, a key differentiator is the post-launch live operations phase meant to keep players engaged for years.”

All of this will bring to mind the current success story of Helldivers 2. That’s a game that has a lower initial price, meaning that it doesn’t have to forcefully push for microtransactions to make money, and has brought together a delightful blend of online co-op gaming. If Project Condor can strike similar notes with its game design, then Remedy could have a similar success, as and when this game launches.

Remedy is spinning plenty of plates right now. Last year’s critically acclaimed release of Alan Wake 2 is being continued with two DLC expansion packs, and Control 2’s development is currently at the proof-of-concept stage – Remedy reacquired the rights to the Control franchise and all its spin-offs from 505 Games earlier this year, so they can potentially find another development or publishing partner here. Then there’s the remakes of Max Payne 1 and 2 with Rockstar and Project Kestrel (formerly Vanguard) with Tencent.

Source: Remedy