Yes, Control Resonant is a full and direct sequel to Remedy’s Control, which was released all the way back in 2019. But there are several questions that still confuse a lot of players. Is Control Resonant a sequel or prequel? Why is there no 2 in the title? Why isn’t Jesse the playable lead like in the first game? How is it connected to Alan Wake and FBC: Firebreak? Do you need to play Control first? Let’s find out.
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Is Control Resonant Control 2?
Yes, Control Resonant is basically Control 2. Back in November 2022, Remedy officially announced what’s now called Control Resonant as Control 2, when the project had previously been known as Codename Heron. Folks at Remedy explicitly described it as Control 2, a sequel to Control.
Fast-forward to four years later, in 2026, when lead gameplay designer Sergey Mohov told GamesRadar that Control Resonant is a sequel and GamesRadar itself describes it as “Control 2 in all but number.” So, as far as the question “Is Control Resonant Control 2?” is concerned, we can confidently say that yes, it surely is.
Why Isn’t It Called Control 2?
This is interesting because Remedy deliberately stuck with Control Resonant and not Control 2 for a reason. Creative director Mikael Kasurinen told GamesRadar that Remedy didn’t want players to see a numbered sequel and think that they need to go through a whole backlog before playing it.
I’ve felt that way more than a dozen times whenever I’ve seen a game title with 2 in front of it. If it had been the same, I would’ve been like, “Well, there’s this game called Control 2, but I won’t be playing it unless I play Control first.” It seems the devs didn’t want that, which is a pretty smart move.
Kasurinen also explained that Control isn’t supposed to follow one character forever. The game can be about different characters’ stories in the same world.
Control Resonant Takes Place Seven Years After Control
Control Resonant takes place seven years after the lockdown of the Oldest House. At the beginning of the story, Dylan is still in a coma and Manhattan is facing a new paranatural crisis. And if you were wondering whether Control Resonant might be set in an alternate timeline, that’s not it. Remedy directly confirmed that Control Resonant takes place after Control.
How Control Resonant Connects to the First Game
The biggest and most obvious connection is Jesse Faden and her younger brother Dylan. If you watch Remedy’s Control story recap (spoiler alert for Control) in the end, it shows that Jesse is cleansing the Hiss from Dylan, but he remains in a coma.
What happens is that Jesse stays on as Director of the FBC and the Oldest House remains under lockdown so the Hiss can be contained. Then Control Resonant picks up from Dylan’s point of view. It shows us that Dylan is now in the middle of the Manhattan supernatural crisis, searching for his sister, Jesse, only to discover that the Hiss have spread beyond the Oldest House.
Why Dylan Faden Replaces Jesse as the Playable Lead
No one can make it simpler than Remedy. The answer is simple: Control was Jesse’s story. Control Resonant is Dylan’s story, which can be seen as the other side of the sibling story. Kasurinen, to put it simply, describes the first game and its sequel as two sides of the same coin, Jesse and Dylan being two sides of the same coin. Remedy communications director Thomas Puha also confirms that Jesse isn’t playable in Resonant.
So what we can surmise from all of this is that Dylan isn’t taking the wheel just for the sake of changing the protagonist of the first game. Control Resonant shifts the perspective on purpose to tell what happens through the other Faden sibling.
Is Control Resonant a Spin-Off?
If this isn’t crystal clear by now, I’m going to make it crystal clear right now: according to Remedy in their official Steam FAQ discussion, no, Control Resonant isn’t some spin-off, but it’s a full, direct sequel to Control.
You might think the new Control game looks like a pretty dramatic departure, as I did at some point, because of the new protagonist, Manhattan setting, action-RPG structure, melee-focused gameplay, the fact that the name isn’t simply Control 2, and whatnot, but according to the very folks who made this and the first game, it’s the next full chapter after Control.
Is Control Resonant Connected to FBC: Firebreak?
Yes, Remedy creative director Mikael Kasurinen says Dylan’s journey in Control Resonant builds on FBC: Firebreak, which follows regular FBC agents who are dealing with the quarantine of the Oldest House. As I mentioned earlier, he also explains that the Control franchise isn’t meant to follow one character forever.
He reiterates that different games and characters can serve as different entry points into the same world. Long story short, Firebreak is connected to Resonant, but has its own perspective on the Control universe.
Is Control Resonant Connected to Alan Wake?
It surely is. In Alan Wake 2: The Lake House, there’s an optional scene that teases what would later become Control Resonant.
In this specific scene, FBC agent Kiran Estevez reaches the Oldest House and meets Dylan Faden. Then we see visions that hint that paranatural threats have spread into New York City. This scene directly sets up the events of Control Resonant.
Do You Need to Play Control Before Control Resonant?
Nope, you don’t have to. According to Remedy, both Control and Control Resonant, although Resonant is a direct sequel, stand on their own and you can play Control Resonant without ever needing to play Control beforehand. If you’ve played the first game, in the sequel you’ll recognize Jesse and the history between the Faden siblings. If you haven’t played the first game, watch a Control recap in Resonant’s main menu before starting.
But then again, I myself recommend playing Control first, if you want to immerse yourself in the strange world Remedy created.
So, at the end of the day, yes, Control Resonant is absolutely a sequel. It just happens to be a sequel that Remedy deliberately chose not to put a big “2” on.
CONTROL Resonant
