Originally recorded during sessions for their seventh studio album, One More Light (2017), it was later officially released on February 23, 2024, as the lead single from the greatest hits album Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000–2023) and features vocals from Chester Bennington that were recorded before his death in 2017.

In June 2020, Linkin Park member and co-founder Mike Shinoda revealed the existence of a song that contained Chester Bennington's vocals made during the recording sessions for the band's seventh studio album, One More Light (2017).

[4] On February 19, 2024, Linkin Park released a series of images and videos on their social media channels revealing a 30-second audio clip of "Friendly Fire";[5] they also made a preview of the song available on their SoundCloud page the next day.

[4][7] The song is featured as the 20th and final track of Papercuts (Singles Collection 2000–2023), a greatest hits album of the band's career that was released on April 12, 2024.

[8] Following Linkin Park's announced reformation in 2024 with new members Emily Armstrong and Colin Brittain, "Friendly Fire" was performed live for the first time at the band's first concert of the From Zero World Tour at the Kia Forum on September 11, 2024, with Armstrong taking up lead vocals.