Remedy Entertainment’s new CEO wants to learn from the Finnish team’s mistakes to ensure they don’t release another title that could be considered a major failure.

Jean-Charles Gaudechon, Remedy’s new CEO, stated in an interview with The Game Business that the studio is prioritizing its own intellectual property and focusing on maximizing the potential of its major game series. This strategy was born out of important lessons learned by the studio after it became clear that entering a new genre with its first self-published game, FBC: Firebreak, was a bigger leap than they had anticipated. Following its release last June, Remedy revised its outlook for the 2025 fiscal year due to the cooperative game’s weak sales results and recorded a non-cash impairment charge of €14.9 million.

Remedy was dissatisfied with consumer sales of FBC Firebreak, noting that the title underperformed on Steam despite the fact that it was intended to be the primary consumer sales channel on PC. The game received its last major content update earlier this year, and players were assured that it would remain online and playable for years to come. Looking ahead, Gaudechon emphasized that Remedy will focus on expanding its existing IPs. In 2024, Remedy signed an agreement with Annapurna to finance Control Resonant, as well as television and film adaptations of the series and Alan Wake. Gaudechon emphasized that he would not want Remedy to enter a market segment such as free-to-play mobile games unless it is based on one of the company’s core IPs and strengths.

“It’s easy to judge in hindsight, so be cautious when you realize how hard it is to make a game – especially a successful one. I have tremendous respect for the previous management team, many of whom are still here. But it doesn’t always work. When you venture into a different genre, you realize that the leap is sometimes much bigger than it looks. That’s one of the big lessons. Regardless of whether it was successful or not, many factors come into play regarding FBC Firebreak. It’s also the first self-published game, and it was on a smaller scale than Control Resonant will be. There were some lessons learned there, too, about how to go through the process, how to position a game, how to manage the community, and so on.

Remedy is already one of the biggest game developers, with very strong signature products. Now, having seen it from the inside, we know there’s so much more we can offer in terms of strong, creative, and unique stories and gameplay. Honestly, we haven’t achieved half of our potential with the products we make. Our deal with Annapurna Interactive will help our games and franchises shine and reach new audiences. It’s a pity. I think Alan Wake should have sold more. Control should have sold more, too. To me, that’s one of the first things we need to fix, even before trying to create more games. First, we need to maximize the potential of the games we have because they’re incredible. Cross-media will help us do that.

You can’t just try to go after business and expect to turn that into making a game. That’s never worked. To me, everything that strays from our core strengths – narrative, single-player, and our awesome IPs – is off-limits. In the years to come, I think there will be more and more generic products that are just trying to make a quick buck. How will you differentiate yourself? Through your creative voice and by standing for something unique that represents you. Remedy has done the hardest part by doing all this,” said Gaudechon.

At least he knows that the ship needs to be steered in a new direction.

Source: Gamesindustry, The Game Business