Author: Game Infliction

Developer Remedy believes the release of its first self-published game and Control spin-off, FBC: Firebreak, “succeeded technically,” but acknowledged it “underperformed” on Steam, admitting that “commercially, we were unsatisfied.”

In a statement to investors, the studio reiterated Firebreak topped 1 million players. However, the majority of those players were on console — via PS Plus and Xbox Game Pass subscription — even though PC was “planned as the primary consumer sales channel.”

“The game’s initial onboarding experience and mission structure resulted in high early player drop-offs and an influx of negative reviews,” the financial statement said. “As players spent more time in the game and we released updates improving the game, sentiment in reviews turned more positive.

“Commercially, we were unsatisfied with the launch-phase consumer sales of FBC: Firebreak. Thus far, FBC: Firebreak’s commercial performance has largely been driven by the Xbox and PlayStation subscription service agreements. A considerable portion of the revenues from these agreements will still be recognized throughout the contract period.”

Remedy promised big changes last month. The pledge came after Remedy posted a candid statement shortly after Firebreak’s launch, acknowledging “not everything had gone well.”

The studio did, however, note that FBC: Firebreak was designed to evolves over time, and believes it’s a solid game “despite the rocky launch.” A larger “Major Update” scheduled for late September will be the next key step for FBC: Firebreak, which Remedy “expects to drive interest in the title.” It said it remains “committed to continuing to work on FBC: Firebreak, engaging with the community, and expanding the game.”

In its financial results for the first half of 2025 and the second quarter, Remedy reported a revenue boost during both periods, following increases in game sales and royalties. The quarter once again operated at a loss — although at $580,000, this was not as sharp as last year’s $3.7 million loss — and across the first six months of the year, revenue was up 43.4% to $35.1 million.

As for other games? The studio confirmed Control 2′s development is “on track” and meeting milestones as the focus is now on “gameplay, environments, and missions.” The Max Payne 1 & 2 remake project remains in full production as “collaboration with Rockstar Games remains close and productive.”

“FBC: Firebreak is a compelling co-op shooter that, despite its good looks, doesn’t have the depth to keep things interesting long-term,” we wrote in IGN’s FBC: Firebreak review, awarding it 6/10.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world’s biggest gaming sites and publications. She’s also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.

Ravensburger is one of the best puzzle brands out there in terms of quality, price, and overall selection. I own quite a few Ravensburger puzzles and can absolutely attest to that. The pieces are always nice and sturdy and there’s never any weird dust in the box. Unfortunately, that level of quality comes at a higher price than a lot of other brands out there.

Thankfully, Amazon is having a pretty good sale on these puzzles this week. The last time we saw discounts like this was back in May of this year, but that was for 1,000-piece puzzles only. This time around there’s a nice mix of jigsaw options for both adults and kids. If you’re a chronic puzzler like me, I definitely recommend you check out these deals while they’re available.

Ravensburger Puzzle Sale at Amazon Today

Almost all of the puzzles in this sale are considered Amazon lightning deals. That means there is a limit to how much stock each one of these has available at the discount listed. So the more popular a puzzle is, the more likely it is to have the discount fully claimed before time runs out on the sale. After covering these sales a few times, however, I’ve found that the “limit” on the discount is almost never reached.

As for what’s worth checking out in this sale, I’ve gathered all of the best options available above. There’s a nice mix of puzzles for kids here mixed in with some more adult-oriented options. The very popular Disney Toy Store 1000-piece puzzle, while not directly included in the sale, has also reached its lowest price in months. It’s filled with all kinds of details from the Pixar movies while offering a similar vibe to The Craft Cupboard puzzle Ravensburger is discounting right now too.

If you’re looking for some new puzzles to do with your kids or grandkids, there are also a few good options in this sale. For really little kids, The Animals of the World Puzzle pack is bright, fun, and comes with two 12-piece puzzles designed for three-year olds. For older kids I’d also recommend checking out the Horse Dreams 100-piece puzzle or the 150-piece Cosmic Connection.

What’s the best piece count for kids?

There is no direct line between what piece count is good for kids vs. adults, so it really depends on the kid. The earliest age you’ll likely see on the puzzle packaging is 3+, but some kids will be ready before that. I bought a four-pack of 12-piece Spider-Man puzzles for my two-year-old nephew this year and he had no problem figuring it out on his own. So if you’re buying for a toddler that has already shown an interest, that 3+ age rating is worth looking out for. This will usually include 12- or 24-piece puzzles.

For older kids who have shown a more of an interest in puzzling already, you’ll probably want to keep the piece count at 300 or lower. If you plan on working on the puzzle with them, a higher piece count is doable, but 500 and 1,000+ puzzles are usually reserved for adults and teens.

A puzzle storage is a great gift for adults

If you’re looking for a good puzzle gift to give yourself or someone else, I would definitely recommend a dedicated table or puzzle board. Larger puzzles just flat out take longer to put together, and if you don’t have a place to leave it or the option to put it away, it can be hard to ever actually finish a puzzle. Thankfully, there are plenty of products that solve these specific problems.

I’m looking at a map of my city, Kansas City, right now, and wondering what I should do for fun this coming weekend. Should I visit the giant purple Zoroark stomping over downtown? If I want to see the Superman with the glowing red eyes in the suburbs to the south, I first have to pass Ralsei Deltarune sitting atop the highway, smoking an enormous blunt. I could go visit the Northland, but there is an enormous United Airlines plane straddling the Missouri River, which might make transit a bit confusing. Hmm. Options, options.

That probably sounded like nonsense if you’re not aware of wplace, a delightful new time waster in the form of a world map where users can draw a single pixel in a color of their choice, wherever they like, once every 30 seconds. If that sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking of one of its main inspirations: /r/place, the Reddit game with a blank canvas that let users similarly place one pixel at a time. Though /r/place closed a few years ago, wplace has rapidly gained popularly in the last few days, to the point where just about wherever you live or wherever you look, you can find detailed collaborative drawings, silly graffiti, inside jokes, and more doodled all over the map. And unshockingly, a lot of those doodles are gaming references.

Like most people, I checked out my own city first before exploring wplace more widely. Kansas City is indeed covered with gaming characters. At a glance, I can see several Pokemon, characters from Rain World, Deltarune, OneShot, Metroid, Final Fantasy, Mario, Earthbound, Among Us, Angry Birds, and plenty more can be spotted amid the city’s roadways and rivers. There are also lots of other pop culture icons, like SpongeBob and various Transformers, sprinkled in with political messages, sports team logos, various flags, location-specific graffiti, and other random doodles. Some people just wrote their names.