Control Resonant Out Sept. 24: What to Know Even If You Missed the First Game
Control Resonant comes out worldwide on September 24, 2026. The Verge published its review of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions on September 23, one day before release The Verge.
It is a follow-up to 2019's Control. It was made by Remedy as an action-RPG, a game where you fight in real time and upgrade your character The Verge.
You play as Dylan Faden, the brother of Jesse Faden. In the first Control, FBC director Jesse Faden fought a strange force called the Hiss inside the Oldest House. In Control Resonant, Dylan has two jobs: clear the invaders from New York and find Jesse, who has been missing since the first game.
You can play the two games in any order. New players can start with Dylan with no required knowledge of Jesse's story. Returning players get a continuing story with no forced recap.
A warped Manhattan
Control Resonant takes place in a broken version of New York City. Remedy calls it a warped Manhattan on the brink of paranatural annihilation. It is a fairly large open world, like a full playground instead of one room. The first game stayed inside the Oldest House.
The place changes how you play. The Oldest House was tall, concrete and indoors, with doorways, locked areas and shifting rooms. This Manhattan is outdoors and wide. Distance, height and rooftops are the challenge. How you move matters most.
Dylan moves with gravity powers. He can briefly fly, dash in the air, jump twice, walk on walls and ceilings, and jump instantly to far ledges. The powers work together. Double jump keeps him up longer. Air dash steers him. Flight crosses gaps. Wall and ceiling walking helps in fights. Warp cuts distance.
Melee systems and structure
Control Resonant is focused on close combat. Dylan carries a weapon that changes shape into a whip or a hammer. The first Control was mostly about shooting.
That changes the fights. The shooting game built around the Service Weapon was about keeping distance, using cover and adding mind-moving powers. The close-combat game is about changing range, handling groups and timing hits. The whip reaches far and sweeps. The hammer hits hard against one target.
Upgrades and character choices sit under the fighting. Remedy has not described it as a simple straight line of stronger powers. The open world lets players pick routes, side tasks and the order of powers. Players choose when to fight the invasion and when to search for Jesse.
During a press briefing, Kasurinen called Control Resonant "not a safe sequel" The Verge. The Verge also shared early play coverage titled "Control Resonant is a sequel — and also a starting point" The Verge. Both point to the same plan. The story continues. New players are still welcome.
Platforms and release
Control Resonant will launch worldwide on September 24, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam Remedy. It will also come to PC via the Epic Games Store and to Mac via Steam Remedy.
The date was shown in a trailer at PlayStation's State of Play event The Verge. It was first listed only as a 2026 release before the September date was set.
The broader context here is what a follow-up that welcomes new players allows. Many sequels fine-tune for old fans. This one grows the map, changes the lead, swaps shooting for close combat and reworks movement, while keeping the strange fiction. That takes more design work. It may upset players who wanted more of the Oldest House.
In my view, the test is simple. Big maps need fast, clear movement. Remedy offers gravity powers, wall walking and warp. If they run smoothly on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, exploring will keep people playing. For PC and Mac, precise controls and steady speed will decide if whip-to-hammer switching feels smart or messy. If it works, Control is no longer stuck in one building. My kids learned tech by exploring, not by manual. Games work the same way.
