CONTROL Resonant will launch on September 24, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, and PC, marking one of the largest changes Remedy Entertainment has made to an established series.
The sequel moves away from Jesse Faden as the playable lead and places her younger brother Dylan at the centre of the story. It also replaces the original game’s gun focused combat with fast melee action, character builds, optional bosses, and a more open version of Manhattan affected by a growing paranatural disaster.
Remedy describes the game as an action RPG rather than a traditional third person shooter. Dylan fights with a shapeshifting Object of Power called the Aberrant, which can transform into several melee weapons. Players will also collect supernatural abilities, build passive skill combinations, craft Artifacts, and explore city districts in different orders.
The game remains part of the wider Remedy Connected Universe and will include links to Alan Wake, although Remedy says newcomers can understand Dylan’s story without playing the original Control.
Dylan Faden becomes the playable lead as Jesse goes missing
CONTROL Resonant takes place roughly seven years after the events of Control.
A cosmic anomaly known internally as The Pattern appears in Manhattan shortly before the city is locked down. The Hiss escapes from the Oldest House, while the Mold and other paranatural threats spread through the streets.
The Federal Bureau of Control focuses on isolating survivors rather than fully containing the crisis. Dylan, previously confined by the organisation because of his supernatural abilities, is released and sent into the city.
His mission is partly practical and partly personal. The FBC believes he may be capable of stopping the disaster, while Dylan is searching for Jesse, who has disappeared but remains an important non playable character in the story.
| Story detail | Confirmed information |
|---|---|
| Playable character | Dylan Faden |
| Main location | A distorted version of Manhattan |
| Time after Control | Around seven years |
| Main anomaly | The Pattern |
| Returning threats | The Hiss and the Mold |
| Jesse Faden’s role | Missing but central to the story |
| Dylan’s handler | Zoe De Vera |
| Returning characters | Emily Pope, Simon Arish, and Ahti |
Zoe De Vera serves as Dylan’s FBC handler and emotional anchor. She begins the story without a complete understanding of the events from the first game, allowing Dylan to explain parts of the earlier crisis as the campaign develops.
Emily Pope has become acting co director of the FBC in Jesse’s absence, while Simon Arish also returns. Ahti is expected to appear in a smaller role than before.
The Aberrant replaces firearms with shapeshifting melee weapons
Dylan does not use conventional guns.
His main weapon is the Aberrant, a supernatural object that changes form during combat. Confirmed forms include twin daggers, a scythe, gauntlets, and a heavy hammer.
At the beginning, players choose one of three starter forms. Flurry uses fast twin dagger attacks and offers a higher critical hit chance, while Slash uses broad scythe strikes. More forms and specialised variants become available later.
Players can assign one form to normal attacks, another to special or charged attacks, and a separate Combo Ender that appears at the end of an attack chain.
| Aberrant role | How it works |
|---|---|
| Primary form | Handles basic attacks |
| Secondary form | Used for special or charged moves |
| Combo Ender | Delivers a finishing attack |
| Enemy weaknesses | Encourage switching weapon types |
| Upgrade system | Each form has its own skill tree |
| Loadout flexibility | Multiple forms can be combined |
The combat has been compared with Devil May Cry, Nier: Automata, and Final Fantasy XVI. That represents a major shift from the more grounded shooting and telekinetic combat of the first Control.
Resonants unlock supernatural abilities with permanent choices
Dylan gains new powers by defeating enemies known as Resonants, corrupted former people of power found throughout the game.
Each defeated Resonant presents several possible abilities, but players can select only one per playthrough. This makes progression more restrictive and encourages different builds across repeated campaigns.
Confirmed powers include Barrage, which pulls rocks from the ground and fires them at enemies, Seekers, which creates an automatic turret that can also be thrown as an explosive, and Shield, a floating barrier that can be converted into an offensive dash.
Players can equip up to three supernatural abilities at once. Combined with the weapon loadout, this gives Dylan access to six active attacks and powers during combat.
Traversal upgrades include a dash, double jump, and levitation. Each is introduced through a retro styled console followed by a platforming challenge that teaches the mechanic.
The Gap acts as Dylan’s progression hub
The Gap is a metaphysical location representing Dylan’s mind.
Players can enter it at any time by holding Down on the directional pad. Inside, they can manage abilities, weapons, passive Talents, and Artifacts.
| Progression system | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Abilities | Upgrades powers gained from Resonants |
| Weapon Upgrades | Expands each Aberrant form |
| Talents | Creates passive build synergies |
| Artifacts | Adds equippable passive benefits |
| Respec | Allows changes by spending a resource |
A single playthrough will not provide enough points or choices to unlock every power, weapon upgrade, and Talent.
Respeccing is possible, but it requires an in game resource and is not free. Once players leave The Gap, their build remains fixed until they return.
New Game Plus is also confirmed, allowing players to revisit the campaign while pursuing abilities and choices they skipped the first time.
Manhattan is open ended but not a traditional open world
Remedy avoids describing CONTROL Resonant as an open world game.
Instead, Manhattan is presented as a large, open ended environment made up of individually designed districts. The studio says it wants meaningful exploration rather than large amounts of filler content or repetitive activities.
The campaign is divided into Dylan’s Journey, which follows the main story, and World Quests, which provide self contained side stories.
Many bosses, called Resonant Entities, are optional and can be challenged in different orders. This gives players more freedom without removing the authored structure associated with Remedy’s earlier games.
A new dialogue system allows conversations to continue while players move through the world. Some responses can change Dylan’s tone, but Remedy says they will not divide the game into dramatically different endings.
There will be no romance system.
Release editions include a PS5 exclusive early access period
CONTROL Resonant will launch at a lower price than many current major releases.
| Edition | Price | Included content |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $59.99 | Base game and pre order bonuses |
| Digital Deluxe Edition | $69.99 | Base game, digital extras, soundtrack, artbook, cosmetics, and resources |
| Steelbook Edition | $69.99 | Base game, Steelbook, poster, and art prints |
Standard and Digital Deluxe pre orders include the Hiss Corruption Outfit and Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact. PlayStation 5 pre orders also receive the exclusive Occult Outfit.
The PlayStation 5 Digital Deluxe Edition includes 48 hours of early access beginning September 22, 2026, at 14:00 UTC. PC and Xbox buyers do not receive the same early access period.
The physical Steelbook Edition trades the Deluxe version’s digital extras for a promotional poster and several art prints. Its current listing does not include the regular pre order bonuses.
PC requirements remain close to Alan Wake 2
CONTROL Resonant runs on Remedy’s Northlight Engine with major upgrades designed for larger environments and heavier combat.
The technology uses GPU driven rendering, mesh shaders, and single pixel occlusion culling. Remedy says these features support longer viewing distances, more enemies, and greater destruction while targeting 60 frames per second on every platform.
| Tier | CPU | GPU | Memory | Storage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum | Intel Core i5 8500 or AMD equivalent | GTX 1070 or RX 5600 XT | 16GB | 100GB SSD |
| Recommended | Ryzen 7 3700X or Intel equivalent | RTX 3070 or RX 6700 XT | 16GB | 100GB SSD |
The final resolution and frame rate targets for these PC tiers have not been disclosed.
Higher end systems will support path traced lighting, RTX Mega Geometry, DLSS 4.5 Dynamic Multi Frame Generation, and DLSS Ray Reconstruction. Native 4K with maximum settings and advanced ray tracing will likely require hardware well above the recommended specification.
Remedy is also targeting 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and Series S, although separate quality modes and detailed Series S settings have not been announced.
CONTROL Resonant represents a major reinvention of the series. It retains the supernatural setting, destruction, connected universe, and strange atmosphere of the original, but rebuilds the experience around Dylan, melee combat, character builds, and a more open city. Its success will depend on whether Remedy can preserve Control’s identity while making the shift to a full action RPG.
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