'Control''s multi-player spin-off not free-to-play

According to Remedy Entertainment‘s recent annual report, the upcoming Control spin-off multi-player game, Condor, will not be free-to-play. It may have a “lower initial price” and live service updates, as well as potential microtransactions.

• READ MORE: ‘Control: AWE’ review: a mind-bending victory lap for one of this generation’s best games
  

Announced in 2021, Condor is a four-player PvE game set within the world of Control. It will be set in The Oldest House, the main location in Control, and see players venture deep into the building to defeat the invading Hiss.

In the annual report, Remedy noted “service-based fixed price games with additional payable downloadable content can become an increasingly important commercial model,” and “this model will be used in Condor“.

It clarifies, “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.” So, expect a combination of the premium and live-service game models for Condor.

A recent example of a game like this could be Helldivers 2. It costs £34.99, half the price of a lot of premium triple-A games, but more than free-to-play live-service multi-players. It also features optional microtransactions in the form of a currency used to buy premium battle passes, although this currency can be earned in-game, too.

While we haven’t seen any Condor gameplay, the annual report does reveal what to expect in the game. The last members of the Federal Bureau of Control are trapped within the Oldest House and will need to team up to take down the Hiss invaders. The Hiss are otherworldly, supernatural forces that can posess both objects and living beings.

Condor will be available on PC, Xbox Series, and PS5.

In other news, Bethesda shared a 30th anniversary post celebrating The Elder Scrolls series, and even revealed there is a playable build of The Elder Scrolls 6 that devs currently have their hands on.