Remedy Entertainment

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Lore & Background

Founded in August 1995 by members of demoscene group Future Crew, Remedy Entertainment created its first game, Death Rally, in a team member's basement. Apogee Software served as the game's publisher, and continued to be involved in the production of its next title, Max Payne, which received critical acclaim upon release. The game was followed by a sequel, Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne, released by Rockstar Games. After working on the Max Payne franchise from roughly 2000 to 2003, the developer decided to create a new intellectual property called Alan Wake. This title was once suspected to be vaporware because of the length of time it took to produce and release. It gained a cult following when it was released in 2010, by Microsoft Game Studios, though at the time its sales were not enough to justify the production of a sequel. Remedy decided to pursue a new project named Quantum Break, which further expanded the live-action component of Alan Wake. The team had transitioned to become a multi-project studio since 2016, and had three projects in development, including Control and the single-player portions of CrossfireX. Remedy's latest title, FBC: Firebreak, was released on 17 June 2025. They are currently developing Control 2 (Codename Heron) and a remake of its original Max Payne titles.

In Their Own Story

The rain fell in sheets over the New York rooftops, but inside the basement in Espoo's Westend district, the only storm was the one in Sam Lake's head. He stared at the script, at Max's lines, at the blood-spattered panels of the graphic novel. The team had built a game engine that could slow time, but the real magic was in the story—a man who lost everything, chasing ghosts through a city of sin. They were Finns, making a noir game about an American cop, and somehow, it worked. The bullet-time wasn't just a gimmick; it was the core mechanic, positioned as a resource for players to use. The team had spent most of 2000 refining the graphics, delaying the release twice. When Max Payne finally launched in July 2001, it was noted for its heavy focus on story and atmosphere in an action game genre that was traditionally more gameplay oriented.

Reader's Guide

Remedy Entertainment has specialised in making cinematic single-player action games featuring a strong central character. With its roots in the demo scene Remedy have a strong history in developing its own game engines for its titles, most notably Northlight for Quantum Break. The studio underwent rapid expansion during the 2010s. It became a public company in 2017, and moved into a larger office in Espoo in 2018. Remedy opened its second studio in Stockholm in 2022.

Did You Know?

• Remedy's founding members were Samuli Syvähuoko, Markus Mäki, Sami Nopanen, John Kavaleff and Sami Vanhatalo.
• The original Remedy logo, designed by Henri Loikkanen, was removed in July 1998 after LucasArts threatened legal action.
• Sam Lake, the writer and face model for Max Payne in the original game, studied English literature at the University of Helsinki.
• Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne sold poorly, leading Take-Two to cite its 'continued disappointing sales' as a reason for a forecast drop in revenue.