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Control Q1 Boost Came From Spooky Cousins

Originally posted on Total Apex Entertainment
By David Gilbert | Last updated May 6, 2026 10:42 PM ET

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Control just crossed a major sales milestone, with Remedy Entertainment announcing that the mind-bending shooter has sold over six million copies lifetime. The latest financial report from Remedy also confirms that the sequel, Control Resonant, remains on track for a Q2 2026 release with marketing ramping up soon. Control Resonant is in full production alongside the Max Payne 1 and 2 remake, plus a mysterious, unannounced project still in the proof of concept stage. Have you ever tried to explain the plot of Control to a friend and watched their eyes glaze over after thirty seconds?

Control Found Its Weird Janitor Audience

Control found its audience through word of mouth, streamer coverage, and that weird janitor who keeps showing up in side quests. The game performed particularly well in Q1 2026 thanks to growing interest in the upcoming sequel and its relatively easy entry point for new players. Control serves as a gateway to Remedy’s shared universe, which also includes Alan Wake and whatever spooky thing they cook up next. Resonant will likely pull in even more players who finally decided to see what all the floating corpse and psychic gun nonsense was about.

Control’s sales received a boost from royalties coming in from Alan Wake 2, plus revenue accruals from the multiplayer spin-off FBC Firebreak. The overall Remedy portfolio performed steadily this quarter, with stronger publishing performance across the board. Control seems to benefit from the halo effect of other Remedy projects, because fans of one weird supernatural shooter tend to enjoy another.

Remedy Trusts Instincts, Not Hand Holding

Resonant remains in full production, meaning the team has moved past planning and prototyping into the messy business of actually building levels and shooting bugs. The financial report states that marketing activities and related spend will significantly intensify prior to the game’s launch, which is corporate speak for get ready to see this thing everywhere. Fans who have been waiting patiently for the game since 2019 can finally start getting excited instead of just hoping.

A person has to wonder whether Resonant will lean harder into the weirdness or try to attract a broader audience with more conventional action. The first game thrived on its strange setting, brutalist architecture, and that one scene where a character delivers a monologue while floating in zero gravity. Resonant could double down on those elements or sand off the edges to chase mainstream success. Remedy usually trusts their instincts, so expect more psychic throwing of forklifts and less hand holding.

Remedy Somehow Avoids Stress Collapse

Image of Control, Courtesy of remedy entertainment

Control also benefits from being part of Remedy’s connected universe, where Alan Wake shows up in Control DLC and Control characters appear in Alan Wake 2. Resonant will likely continue that trend, setting up threads for future games while telling its own complete story. The Max Payne remakes remain in full production alongside Resonant, which means Remedy somehow juggles multiple major projects without collapsing into a pile of stress and coffee cups.

The unannounced project sitting in the proof of concept stage could be anything, a new IP, a sequel to another Remedy game, or maybe just a prototype they will scrap next year. Resonant takes priority for now, but Remedy clearly plans to keep the pipeline full for years to come. Control sales passed six million, which sounds impressive until a person remembers that Call of Duty sells that many copies in a weekend. For a weird, artsy, sometimes confusing shooter with a protagonist named Jesse, six million feels like a victory lap.

Does anyone actually believe that Resonant will outsell the original, or will it simply satisfy the existing fan base and call it a day? Remedy games tend to find their audience slowly and keep them forever, rather than exploding out of the gate. Resonant might follow the same pattern, selling steadily for years while players slowly discover it through sales and word of mouth.

Control Sales Hit Six Million Strangers

So that leaves Remedy fans with a stacked release calendar and a lot to look forward to. Control sits at over six million copies sold, proving that weird games can find a home in a market dominated by shooters and sports titles. Resonant comes in Q2 2026, with marketing ramping up soon and full production already humming along. Remedy also juggles Max Payne remakes and a secret, unannounced project, all while keeping their shared universe intact.

Control opened a door, and Resonant will likely kick it wide open. The six million players who bought the first game will probably show up for the sequel, and plenty of newcomers will join them. Control keeps selling, Remedy keeps building, and the weirdness keeps spreading. Resonant arrives next year, and the floating bodies and psychic powers return with a vengeance.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Entertainment and was syndicated with permission.

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