Jesse Faden Will Not Be Playable in Control RESONANT, But She Still Matters to the Story
Remedy Entertainment is continuing to expand the marketing push for Control RESONANT, and one of the latest details to emerge may disappoint some longtime fans of the original game. According to Hidden Machine, Remedy confirmed that Jesse Faden will not be playable at all in the new title. That closes the door, at least for now, on the idea that players might switch between Jesse and Dylan Faden during the campaign. Recent official and preview coverage has consistently positioned Dylan as the game’s lead, while Remedy has also described Jesse as missing when the story begins.
That said, Jesse is not absent from the narrative. Remedy has indicated that she still plays a role in the story, even if players will not directly control her. From a franchise perspective, that makes sense. Jesse became one of the defining faces of Control, especially after taking over the Federal Bureau of Control at the end of the first game and later appearing again in Alan Wake 2: Night Springs. In Control RESONANT, however, the studio appears committed to shifting the spotlight toward Dylan, reinforcing that the series was always meant to involve both Faden twins rather than only Jesse.
This creative pivot also aligns with what Remedy has already shown publicly. The game, first revealed at The Game Awards 2025 and later featured again during February 2026’s PlayStation State of Play cycle, has been framed as a more melee driven and action focused evolution of the original Control. Remedy’s own recent deep dive highlighted combat, buildcrafting, and player choice, while previews have also pointed to a target of 60 FPS across platforms. That stronger gameplay identity gives Dylan room to stand apart, instead of simply feeling like a replacement for Jesse.
Another interesting layer is how Remedy is reportedly handling Dylan’s interactions throughout the game. Coverage around the latest preview sessions suggests Dylan will be guided by Zoe De Vera across missions in Manhattan, with dialogue unfolding in real time rather than stopping the action. Remedy reportedly took inspiration from Firewatch for this communication style, aiming for a more natural flow while still giving players dialogue responses. At the same time, previews indicate these choices will shape moment to moment expression rather than lead to multiple endings, which keeps the experience focused on characterization instead of branching roleplaying structure.
For fans attached to Jesse Faden, the news will naturally feel mixed. She remains one of Remedy’s strongest protagonists, and many players hoped the sequel would keep her in a central playable role. Still, from a long term storytelling standpoint, focusing on Dylan could be the right move if Remedy wants to deepen the Faden family dynamic and broaden the identity of the series. The bigger question now is not whether Jesse is playable, because Remedy’s current answer appears to be no, but how large her narrative role will be once Control RESONANT finally arrives later in 2026 on PC, macOS, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Do you think Remedy is making the right call by fully committing to Dylan as the playable lead, or should Jesse Faden have remained playable in some form?
