Max Payne Studio's New 9/10 Action RPG Is So Good Even Pirates Want You To Buy It

Published Sep 28, 2026, 8:00 AM EDT

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

The community of online pirates is always going to exist, simply because a certain percentage of those who don't otherwise have the means or inclination to buy games will always find ways to enjoy them regardless. Leaving the morality of all that aside, there really isn't a set of rules or a code of coduct about who can download what and when.

For the most part, it tends to be the bigger AAA titles that get pirated the most, particularly as they usually cost a lot more than their indie counterparts, but that doesn't mean that small or even solo developers don't come up short at their hands occasionally. As such, it's difficult to imagine a game that would unite them all in not pirating it (unless it was exceptionally terrible), but that seems to be happening right now, and it couldn't be for a more deserving title than Control Resonant.

Control Resonant Unites The Pirates

Remedy Entertainment have just dropped Control Resonant, and by all accounts, it's an excellent game that brings a bunch of exciting gameplay features to the fore. The general consensus has been that the game is very good, and it should hopefully serve as a commercial success for the developer.

It's one that they will need as well, as it has been no secret that the developer has been through some significant financial difficulties in recent years, with reports of significant financial strain and operating losses due to the underperformance of its multiplayer spin-off FBC: Firebreak and sky-high production costs for Alan Wake 2.

As first reported by TweakTown, the chances of it doing well may have just gone up somewhat, as the Piracy subreddit have united to confirm that (for the most part) they won't be pirating the game. Instead, they will be buying it outright in a show of support for the developer, who desperately needs this win.

"One of the very few games I'm going to be buying, Remedy are on the brink of bankruptcy, this is their make or break title, I love their games and gotta do what I can to keep them afloat," one comment read.

While another added, "Remedy are a creative-lead independent company. If anyone deserves your money they do.

That already seems to be making a real difference to the game's performance on major storefronts, where it is currently the #1 top seller on Steam worldwide. User reviews are also currently sitting at Very Positive, while it also sits in the Top 10 in more than 20 regions for the PS5, as well as garnering a 4.75/5 rating.

Whatever your opinions on Control Resonant itself, it's certainly nice to see players rally around a game, rather than argue on the internet about its merits and flaws. Let's just hope we can generate a little more of that unity moving forward, and it might have the happy knock-on effect of giving us more great games to play.

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