GameTimeline

Release & story order

Control timeline

Remedy's Control from the August 27, 2019 launch through The Foundation (March 26, 2020) and AWE (August 27, 2020)—US-oriented ship dates, Oldest House story order (campaign → Foundation → AWE), and why Control Ultimate Edition is the practical 2026 buy (same story plus both expansions, not a fourth title). Alan Wake 2 is related Remedy Connected Universe texture, not required on this list—Bright Falls play order lives on the Alan Wake page. Quantum Break cameos stay optional. Neighbor mystery and horror shelves: Silent Hill, Death Stranding, Until Dawn, and Half-Life.

Updated August 2026

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Release order Story order

Release order

When Remedy shipped each Control story milestone in the US—Control (August 27, 2019), The Foundation (March 26, 2020), and AWE (August 27, 2020). Control Ultimate Edition is the practical modern buy: the 2019 campaign plus both expansions in one package, not a fourth title on this list. Expeditions, photo mode, and later ports stay optional extras.

  • Newcomers 2026 → Control Ultimate Edition (campaign plus both expansions)
  • Story path → finish the 2019 campaign, then Foundation, then AWE
  • PC → Steam Ultimate Edition is the usual buy; the 2019 Epic original is the older listing
  • Alan Wake 2 → related universe after AWE—optional, not a Control title
Story order tips

Oldest House ~2019 (Control) → The Foundation after Jesse becomes Director → AWE after Foundation, when the Investigations Sector opens the Bright Falls file. Expansions are optional if you only want the base campaign; play both, in that order, for the full Jesse path. Alan Wake 2 is related-universe follow-up, not a Control sequel on this page.

  • Core path: Control → The Foundation → AWE
  • Expansions are optional after the campaign—not required to “finish” the 2019 game
  • AWE hits harder if you have played Alan Wake; it is still not required
  • On Story order, later entries may be hidden—reveal when ready or use Show all spoilers

Timeline

When each game was released. Click a game for platforms, dates, and where it fits in your playthrough.

Release order

  1. Control

    Control

    PlayStation 4Xbox OnePCActionMainline

    Control (August 27, 2019, US PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Epic PC) drops Jesse Faden into the Oldest House—the Federal Bureau of Control’s shifting brutalist headquarters—during a Hiss invasion, with gun-and-telekinesis combat and a building that rearranges itself. Control Ultimate Edition is the practical 2026 purchase: this campaign plus The Foundation and AWE, not a second title on this list.

    Overview
    Third-person supernatural action that treats the flashlight-era Remedy thriller as an office labyrinth: Service Weapon forms, Launch/Seize/Levitate powers, and an architecture that folds mid-fight.
    In-game setting
    Story opener ~2019 Oldest House. Next story beats are The Foundation then AWE. Ultimate Edition retells this campaign with both expansions bundled—do not treat it as a sequel.
    Should you play it?
    Required start. Skip separate expansion purchases if Ultimate Edition already includes them. Tone neighbors: Silent Hill and Half-Life.
    Release date
    US PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Epic Games Store August 27, 2019. Steam arrives with Ultimate Edition (August 27, 2020). PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series digital Ultimate Edition February 2, 2021. Nintendo Switch October 30, 2020 is a cloud version. Prefer Ultimate Edition on current hardware.
  2. Control: The Foundation

    Control: The Foundation

    PlayStation 4PCXbox OneActionExpansionExpansion

    The Foundation (March 26, 2020, PlayStation 4 and Epic PC; Xbox One June 25) is the first paid expansion—Jesse descends beneath the Oldest House to the Nail, the Board, and the Bureau’s buried origin. Play after the 2019 campaign. Optional if you only want the base ending; required for the full Director path before AWE.

    Overview
    Opens a vertical underworld of caves, former-god geometry, and new Service Weapon / ability toys while the Hiss crisis is still the Bureau’s present tense—not a new numbered game.
    In-game setting
    Story placement: after Control, before AWE. Same Jesse, same invasion aftermath. Bundled inside Ultimate Edition—not a separate 2026 storefront you must hunt if you already own that package.
    Should you play it?
    Keep it for Oldest House lore and the clean setup into AWE. Skip if you only want the 2019 campaign. Choice-horror neighbor: Until Dawn.
    Release date
    PlayStation 4 and Epic PC March 26, 2020; Xbox One June 25, 2020. Later included in Ultimate Edition on Steam, last-gen, and PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series. Not a standalone disc.
  3. Control: AWE

    Control: AWE

    PlayStation 4Xbox OnePCActionExpansionExpansion

    AWE (August 27, 2020) is the second expansion—Investigations Sector, the Bright Falls Altered World Event file, and the strongest Alan Wake crossover in Control. Play after The Foundation. Optional for the 2019 campaign’s plot spine; the usual last Jesse chapter before you look at Alan Wake for Alan Wake 2.

    Overview
    Turns Bureau casework into a horror wing: Hartman’s wing of the House, darkness-as-threat callbacks, and in-universe documents that treat Bright Falls as an FBC file rather than a separate sequel you must own.
    In-game setting
    Story closer on this page after Foundation. Assumes the 2019 campaign. Alan Wake jokes and names hit harder if you played that game; they are not required to follow Jesse. Alan Wake 2 is not a Control expansion.
    Should you play it?
    Play for the Bright Falls bridge. Skip if you only want the base Bureau story. Related-universe neighbor: Alan Wake. Tone neighbor: Death Stranding.
    Release date
    August 27, 2020 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC (Epic; Steam via Ultimate Edition the same day). Lives inside Ultimate Edition on PlayStation 5 / Xbox Series (February 2, 2021 digital). Not a separate timeline title.

FAQ

Release vs story order, where to start in 2026, Ultimate Edition platforms, Foundation vs AWE, and the Alan Wake crossover.

Release order

Release follows US ship dates: Control (August 27, 2019) → The Foundation (March 26, 2020) → AWE (August 27, 2020). Story is the same three chapters in fiction: Hiss invasion → Foundation after Jesse is Director → AWE after Foundation. Control Ultimate Edition is that full path in one package, not a fourth title.

Start with Control Ultimate Edition. Play the 2019 campaign first, then The Foundation, then AWE. That is the full Jesse path most newcomers want. You can stop after the base game—The Foundation and AWE are optional, not required to understand the 2019 ending.

Story & canon

Finish the 2019 campaign, then The Foundation, then AWE. Foundation is the first expansion and the usual setup; AWE is the second and the Bright Falls crossover. If you only have time for one expansion after the campaign, AWE is the Alan Wake bridge and Foundation is the Oldest House basement—both are the intended pair, in that order.

Ultimate Edition & platforms

Control Ultimate Edition bundles the same 2019 campaign with The Foundation, AWE, Expeditions, photo mode, and post-launch updates. It is not a remake and not a new story. Steam launched that package on August 27, 2020; PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series digital editions arrived February 2, 2021 (physical March 2, 2021). New buyers should get Ultimate Edition. Base-game owners can buy expansions separately or move to Ultimate where stores allow.

Optional & related

More timelines

Other release-order and story-order guides on this site.