CONTROL Resonant will launch on September 24, 2026, for PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S, marking a major shift for Remedy Entertainment’s supernatural action series.
Instead of continuing Jesse Faden’s story as another third-person shooter, the sequel puts her brother Dylan in the lead role and rebuilds the experience as an action RPG focused on close-range combat.
The setting also moves beyond the corridors of the Oldest House. Players will explore a distorted version of Manhattan after a cosmic anomaly known as the Pattern appears in the city and several paranatural threats escape containment.
Remedy describes the world as open-ended rather than a traditional open world. The studio says each district has been designed around meaningful activities and narrative content instead of large amounts of repetitive filler.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Release date | September 24, 2026 |
| Platforms | PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S |
| Mac release | Planned later in 2026 |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Protagonist | Dylan Faden |
| Main weapon | Aberrant, a transforming melee Object of Power |
| Performance target | 60fps across all console platforms |
| PC storage | 100GB SSD |
| Standard price | $59.99 |
| Digital Deluxe price | $69.99 |
Dylan searches for Jesse after Manhattan falls into crisis
The story takes place around seven years after the original Control.
A few days before Manhattan is placed under lockdown, the Pattern emerges and begins disrupting reality. The Hiss also escapes from the Oldest House, while the Mold and other paranatural dangers spread through the city.
The Federal Bureau of Control responds by sealing exits and quarantining survivors, but it appears unable to contain the growing disaster.
Dylan is released from FBC custody and sent into Manhattan because of his supernatural abilities. His official mission is to help contain the crisis, but he also has a personal objective: finding Jesse, who is missing.
Jesse remains an important character in the story, though she will not be playable.
Zoe De Vera, an FBC field agent, acts as Dylan’s handler. She provides guidance and threat information while also helping him control his unstable powers. Emily Pope returns as acting co-director of the FBC, while Simon Arish and Ahti are also expected to appear.
Remedy has confirmed that the story will contain links to Alan Wake and the wider connected universe.
Aberrant replaces firearms with transforming melee weapons
Dylan does not use a gun.
His primary weapon is the Aberrant, a supernatural Object of Power that can transform into several melee forms, including daggers, a scythe, gauntlets and a large hammer.
At the beginning of the game, players select one of three starter forms. Flurry uses fast daggers with a higher critical-hit chance, while Slash provides wider scythe attacks. Additional forms become available later.
The combat system allows one form to be assigned to basic attacks, another to special or charged moves, and a third as a Combo Ender at the end of an attack sequence.
Some enemies are more vulnerable to specific weapon types, encouraging players to adjust their setup rather than rely on one form for the entire game.
Early descriptions compare the combat to games such as Devil May Cry, Nier: Automata and Final Fantasy XVI. That suggests a faster and more combo-focused style than the original Control.
Resonant powers add more build choices
Dylan can gain supernatural abilities by defeating corrupted individuals known as Resonants.
Each victory presents a choice between different powers, but only one can be selected. Remedy says players will not be able to unlock everything in one playthrough.
Revealed abilities include Barrage, which pulls rocks from the ground and launches them at enemies, Seekers, which creates an automatic turret that can also be thrown as an explosive, and Shield, which forms a rock barrier that can be used defensively or during a dash attack.
Up to three supernatural abilities can be equipped at once.
Combined with the primary weapon form, secondary form and Combo Ender, this gives Dylan access to six active attacks and powers within one loadout.
Traversal abilities will also expand during the campaign. Confirmed movement skills include a dash, double jump and levitation. Each is introduced through retro-styled consoles and followed by a platforming section designed to teach the mechanic.
The Gap serves as Dylan’s progression hub
Players can enter a metaphysical hub called the Gap at almost any time by holding Down on the directional pad.
The Gap represents Dylan’s mind and contains the game’s main progression systems.
Abilities have individual upgrade trees, while each Aberrant weapon form has its own upgrades and specialised variants. A separate Talent system connects weapons and powers through passive bonuses and build-focused effects.
Players can also craft Artifacts that provide additional passive benefits.
Build choices are deliberately limited. A single playthrough will not provide enough resources to unlock every ability, talent or weapon upgrade.
Respeccing is possible inside the Gap, but it requires an in-game resource. There is no free reset option.
Once the player leaves the Gap, the selected build remains fixed until the next visit.
This structure should give different players noticeably different combat setups and provide a reason to return through New Game+.
Manhattan offers freedom without a conventional open-world structure
Remedy is avoiding the traditional open-world label.
Instead, CONTROL Resonant uses a large, connected Manhattan with individually authored districts and optional activities.
The studio says its goal is to pull players through the environment using discoveries and narrative interest rather than push them down a disguised linear route.
The main campaign is called Dylan’s Journey. Separate World Quests provide self-contained stories that expand the setting without replacing the central plot.
Many major enemies, called Resonant Entities, are optional and can be fought in different orders.
The game also uses seamless dialogue that continues while the player moves through the environment. Some conversations include response choices, but these primarily change tone rather than producing separate endings.
Remedy has confirmed that the game does not include romance options.
Creative director Mikael Kasurinen has also said the largest story changes occur in the middle and final sections, with the second half expected to look very different from the material shown before release.
Northlight upgrades support larger battles and destruction
CONTROL Resonant runs on an upgraded version of Remedy’s Northlight Engine.
The technology includes GPU-driven rendering, mesh shaders and single-pixel occlusion culling. These improvements are intended to support longer draw distances, more enemies and heavier destruction while maintaining stable performance.
Remedy is targeting 60 frames per second on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S.
The studio has not yet explained whether consoles will include separate quality and performance modes or how resolution will differ between platforms.
On PC, the current requirements are relatively close to Alan Wake 2.
| PC tier | Processor | Graphics card | 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 game will support path-traced lighting, RTX Mega Geometry, DLSS 4.5, Dynamic Multi Frame Generation and DLSS Ray Reconstruction.
The recommended requirements do not appear to represent maximum path-traced settings. Running the game at native 4K with its most demanding effects will likely require more powerful hardware.
Editions include PS5-only early access and cosmetics
The Standard Edition costs $59.99 and includes the base game with preorder items.
The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $69.99 and adds a digital artbook, soundtrack, starter resources and cosmetic content.
PlayStation 5 buyers who preorder the Digital Deluxe Edition receive 48 hours of early access beginning on September 22 at 14:00 UTC. This early-access period is not available on PC or Xbox.
Standard and Digital Deluxe preorders include the Hiss Corruption Outfit and Pickpocket’s Tool Artifact. PlayStation 5 preorders also receive an exclusive Occult Outfit.
A physical Steelbook Edition costs $69.99 and includes a poster and art prints instead of the Digital Deluxe content. Its listing does not include the normal preorder bonuses.
The game supports Xbox Play Anywhere, allowing one compatible purchase to work across Xbox consoles and the Windows Store with shared progress.
PC versions will be available through Steam and the Epic Games Store, with GeForce NOW support also confirmed. A Mac edition is expected later in 2026 through Steam and the App Store.
CONTROL Resonant represents a substantial departure from its predecessor, but it retains the series’ supernatural setting, destructible environments and connected-universe storytelling. Its success will depend on whether Remedy can translate Control’s powers and atmosphere into a deeper melee-focused RPG without losing the identity that made the first game successful.
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