Remedy pushed a day-one balance update for CONTROL Resonant that reworks the early-game combat feel, targeting the enemy health and stun pacing that reviewers and early access players flagged. The fix lands as Hotfix 1.3.3, delivered as version 1.300.300 on PlayStation 5, and it is live on all platforms at launch.
Quick answer: Hotfix 1.3.3 lowers enemy health and Falter (stun) requirements, raises Dylan’s maximum Aberrant and Ability Strength, and cuts respec costs. It is available now on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Combat and enemy health changes in Hotfix 1.3.3
The core problem the patch addresses is simple. Enemies in the opening hours took too many hits to kill, and the number of hits needed to trigger the Falter stun state (the requirement for executions) dragged fights out. Remedy states the goal is to fix the pacing “while still providing a challenge.” The changes reduce durability and speed up access to executions without turning off the difficulty entirely.
| Adjustment | Effect |
|---|---|
| Enemy base health | Reduced for most enemies, especially in the early game |
| Falter (stun) threshold | Lowered so enemies stagger faster for executions |
| Dancer and Deserter bosses | Reduced base health and required Falter level |
| Maximum Aberrant Strength | Increased |
| Maximum Ability Strength | Increased |
Upgrade gains scale along a curve instead of staying even, with the largest increases arriving near the end of the path. Equipping more upgrades further raises your damage output. The Dancer and the Deserter, two of the earliest major bosses available, are easier to defeat now because their health and Falter values have both been reduced.
Cheaper respeccing and more Reset Items
Rebuilding Dylan Faden’s stats is far less costly after the update, which encourages experimenting with different builds without heavy penalties.
- The cost to respec Dylan’s stats is permanently reduced.
- Vendors now stock more Reset Items.
- Defeating the Artist now awards two Reset Items, up from one.
Assist Mode for extra tuning
Assist Mode carries over from the original CONTROL and stays available in the Gameplay section of the options menu. It lets you fine-tune difficulty beyond the default balance, either to make fights more forgiving or to raise the challenge.
- Adjust enemy aggression.
- Change incoming and outgoing damage.
- Adjust how quickly Dylan’s abilities recover, as well as the Falter values.
If enemies still feel too spongy after the patch, the same sliders can push their health and damage down further. The settings work in both directions, so a harder run for a second playthrough is also on the table.
UI text updates
Two English descriptions were revised to make the combat systems clearer. Aberrant Strength now says “Damage and Falter X%” instead of “Multiplier X%”. Build Power now reads “From unlocked Combat Abilities, Aberrant forms/upgrades, Talents, and Core Upgrades.” in place of “Calculated based on equipped Weapon Forms, Talents and Core Upgrades.” These changes are currently English-only; localized text will follow.
How to install the update on each platform
The patch is out now on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC through Steam and the Epic Games Store. The version number differs by platform.
| Platform | Version | Note |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 1.300.300 | Standard download |
| PC (Steam / Epic) | 1.3.3 | Full re-download required |
| Xbox Series X/S | 1.3.3 | Standard download |
On PC, the hotfix forces a full re-download of the preloaded game rather than a small patch, so make sure you have the disk space and time before starting.
You can confirm you are on the patched build by checking the version number in-game or on your platform’s game details page. Once it reads 1.300.300 on PS5 or 1.3.3 on PC and Xbox, the combat rebalance, cheaper respec, and updated UI text are all active. Remedy has said it will keep watching feedback and make further adjustments as needed, and the full breakdown is posted in the official CONTROL Resonant patch notes.
