Control 2, or as it's now called, Control Resonant, has finally been revealed with a release window—courtesy of a trailer shown during the 2025 Game Awards. After its initial announcement from Remedy in 2022, we've been patiently waiting for any sort of update on its development, and it's finally here.
The surprise announcement was spoiled slightly after a European trademark filing for "Control Resonant" was spotted by MP1st ahead of The Game Awards. But even then, the brand new trailer has still caused quite a stir, and now we've got some concrete information about the game and when we can expect to play it. PlayStations's State of Play in February, 2026 also offered another short glimpse of gameplay to tease us even more.
Article continues belowWhen will it release?
Control Resonant doesn't currently have a concrete release date, but as shown during the announcement trailer, a window of 2026 is what we currently have to work with.
After some false rumors were going around that it would release in Q2 2026, Remedy's Communications Director, Thomas Puha, even took to X to reiterate that "Remedy has only ever communicated that the release window of CONTROL Resonant is 2026. Anything else is speculation."
Control Resonant Trailers
The first trailer for Control Resonant was shown during The Game Awards 2025. It gives a good introduction to the setting, introducing the protagonist Dylan Faden—which marks the first step away from the previous game. We also got to see some gameplay footage mixed in with all the flashy cinematics; which show off a shift in focus, from third-person shooting to more of a hack 'n' slash romp.
Control Resonant gameplay
The only snippet of proper gameplay we have comes from a three-minute teaser shown off at Sony's February, 2026 State of Play. In it, we see Dylan Faden (Jesse's brother) on an early mission bonking enemies with his sick melee skills and powers, and using "Shift," which allows Dylan to "move through gravity anomalies to adapt to the world around him." Basically, Dylan's jumping on walls and walking on them, with the perspective shifting to reflect this.
There are some noticeable differences we can dissect from the trailer that will make it play completely differently from the first game. For example, we won't be scrabbling around the corridors of the Oldest House anymore—instead, we'll be set free to romp around New York.
Dylan's penchant for getting up close and personal is the main difference, here. Rather than the third-person shooter setup from the first Control, Resonant looks like a straight-up action RPG. You'll have to get up close and personal with New York's newest creeps, all of which look a lot more surreal in comparison to its predecessor.
Control Resonant will also offer "deep progression systems" which you'll get to unlock as you make your way through the game. These will allow you to define a playstyle that suits you, and make the experience more unique. Robin Valentine got a look at this in our latest Control Resonant preview (more on this below) and reckons it makes the game closer to Diablo than anybody was expecting. Not in terms of the moment-to-moment gameplay, but in how buildcrafting affects your playstyle.
You even get to explore a place in Dylan's mind called "The Gap," which you can jump into instantly at any time and tweak elements of your combat build. Seemingly allowing for a lot of change and experimentation.
It's a big change, but Remedy seems quite confident in its execution. As stated by Creative Director Mikael Kassurinen: "We’re pushing the scale beyond anything we’ve done before, elevating combat, exploration, and storytelling into a bigger, more memorable experience. It’s ambitious, a little wild, and we can’t wait for players to get lost in it.”
Our Control Resonant preview: Diablo, is that you?
Robin Valentine had a hands-off look at the game in our Control Resonant preview, and he reckons it's far more of an RPG than most were expecting, with talent trees, stats screens, and build-crafting that wouldn't feel out of place in a Diablo game. It may not be Diablo in practice, but the brief glimpse Robin got showed off just how big of an impact all the buildcrafting has. In Robin's own words:
"In one incarnation, Dylan is a lightning-fast assassin, leaping between enemies and overwhelming them with a flurry of blows. Then I see a build where he's a powerhouse, slamming between foes like a telekinetic wrecking ball. In a third, he's more of a puppet master, summoning a flying minion and a worm-like sentry turret to take the heat and lay down damage while he leaps to higher ground for a safe vantage."
One big question mark Robin was left with though was how it actually felt to play through all these builds, as he didn't get to play around in Remedy's new sandbox himself. Still, the glimpse left him cautiously optimistic, even if he's aware there's a possibility Remedy may have bitten off more than they can chew here.
What's the core gameplay loop?
Weapon attacks on enemies charge up your abilities, which are big, flashy supernatural powers. Those deal lots of "falter" damage, which can leave enemies stunned. Then you can trigger an execution animation on them, taking enemies out and giving you a melee damage buff. This is the perfect time to wail on someone else with your weapon to get your abilities charged up again, and so on. How you execute this loop is where things should get interesting, as every step is customisable.
What weapons do you use?
You weapon is called Aberrant and is fully customisable in Control Resonant, letting you pick a primary form, secondary form, and combo ender. Each form also has its own talent trees for you to pick and choose from.
Here's what weapon forms we know about so far:
- Scythe
- Axe
- Spinning blade
- Hammer
- Drill
- Gauntlets
- Whip
What abilities are there?
Supernatural combat abilities are additional powers you earn by killing powerful Resonant bosses,. Defeating one boss grants one unique ability, but some offer branching choices that "push you toward distinct playstyles."
So far, we know of abilities that can: throw up a telekinetic shield that can then be rammed into enemies; and summon a crackling ball of energy that fires projectiles across the battlefield.
General abilities like dodging, generating health pick-ups, and gaining bonus damage for performing backstabs are kept to Dylan's own personal talent tree.
Control Resonant story and setting
The story of Control Resonant follows Dylan Faden, rather than Jesse Faden, who was the protagonist of the first game. Taking place seven years after where the first leaves off, the Federal Bureau of Control is in a state of lockdown, and Dylan Faden is being deployed at the peak of a "supernatural crisis".
You'll need to leverage Dylan's ability to use the Abberant—an artifact that can shapeshift into a variety of melee weapons—to take down a huge number of threats throughout the world, all while tracking down his sister. This story will unravel across multiple areas of Manhattan, rather than the Oldest House, and each area will be brimming with various enemies to hit with your shapeshifting stick.
The world won't look like Manhattan as we know it, either. As the trailer states, these overwhelming forces can alter reality, resulting in the world being broken up into chunks, twisting everything into confusing new forms.
As shared on the Remedy Games website, Control Resonant has been "designed as both a sequel and a new entry point" to the series. Meaning you also don't have to know the ins and outs of the first game to jump right into the action here. In fact, Mikael Kasurinen, the Creative Director of Control Resonant, shared: "You don’t have to know the first game to jump into the sequel, we’ve made this one easy to pick up and hard to put down."
Some other things we know about Control Resonant's story include:
- Dylan's handler is an FBC field agent called Zoe De Vera.
- It has a "seamless dialogue system" that allows conversations to unfold during exploration.
- Manhattan is divided into zones, each with its own vibe, encounters, lore and secrets.
- Dylan's Journey is the main story, while world quests act as self-contained narrative stories.
- Jesse isn't playable, but she is present as a major character.
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