Forward-looking: Control 2 is the sequel to the game that put the “paranormal” in the action-adventure genre three years ago. Previously known as Codename Heron, the new action-packed experience will eventually come to PC and consoles.
After confirming the expansion of the franchise last year, Remedy Entertainment has now officially announced the development of a new Control game. Control 2 will be co-developed with Italian publisher 505 Games and judging from the funding involved, there will be a lot more supernatural foes and buildings for players to destroy.
Control is a paranormal-themed action-adventure game released in 2019, a new franchise by a company previously known for games like Max Payne, Alan Wake and Quantum Break. It was a resounding success for Remedy, offering gamers an eerie experience in a world full of supernatural phenomena and mystery. You play as a charismatic heroine named Jesse Faden who finds herself trapped in that same world after being appointed as the new director of the Federal Bureau of Control.
Control 2 will be developed in partnership with 505 Games (a subsidiary of Digital Bros Group) with an “initial” budget of € 50 million (nearly $52 million). The budget of the first game was just € 30 million, so the company is dealing with a triple-A action game at a large scale. The game will be released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, and it will use the company’s proprietary graphics engine known as Northlight.
The engine was first used for the aforementioned Quantum Break, and then further refined for the original Control. The latter is known for being a true technological marvel, a “PC-first” production designed to showcase the latest graphics innovations including ray-traced lighting. Control is indeed considered one of the first, real “killer applications” for ray tracing-capable hardware like Nvidia’s Ampere GPUs.
Development, marketing and post-launch investments for Control 2 will be equally split between 505 Games and Remedy, as will future net revenues. Remedy will publish the game on PC, while 505 Games will manage the console side of the venture.
Since 2019, Control was nominated for 11 BAFTA Game Awards and received over 20 “Game of the Year” awards. Another game in the Control universe (Codename Condor) is still a mystery besides its co-op multiplayer focus.
Control 2 is currently in its concept stage, so the development process will take a bit more time with no announced launch window. According to co-CEOs of Digital Bros Group/505 Games Abramo and Raffaele Galante, Control was the biggest investment ever made by the company. The player community has made Control “a long-lasting and loved game”, so 505 Games is even more excited to eventually bring Control 2 to the market.
