Alan Wake 2 Developer Defends Deal With 'Excellent Partner' Epic Games, Despite The Fact It's Still Missing From Rival Storefront Steam

Remedy Entertainment has spoken retired to support its publishing woody for Alan Wake 2, which saw the crippled motorboat connected PC exclusively via the Epic Games Store. More than 2 years later, there's inactive nary motion of it coming to rival storefront Steam.

Released successful October 2023, Alan Wake 2 took a twelvemonth to yet statesman generating royalties for Remedy, aft ticking implicit the 2 cardinal income mark. Now, a statement has been sparked implicit its income — which would undoubtedly beryllium higher if it had besides arrived connected Steam, adjacent if the crippled lone exists due to the fact that of Epic Games currency — arsenic good arsenic the benefits of storefront exclusives.

Discussion was sparked connected societal media by a lengthy thread from Michael Douse, manager of publishing astatine Baldur's Gate 3 and Divinity workplace Larian. "I recognize Epic wholly funded Alan Wake 2 but this altruistic pro-developer speech doesn't beryllium good erstwhile Remedy seemingly went into fiscal situation due to the fact that they couldn't pat Steam for AW2 income suffering perchance hundreds of millions successful mislaid revenue," Douse wrote.

"Not that they request the wealth but a % instrumentality to Epic could've recouped dev costs + more. Competition is good, and important, but it is hard to bargain the connection erstwhile determination are demonstrable cases of games underperforming arsenic a effect of the tactic."

Initially, Douse had been replying to a station by Epic Games brag Tim Sweeney, who noted that "Epic and Steam vie for each lawsuit and each sale." Sweeney continued: "On immoderate transactions, Epic wins. On more, Steam wins. But 1 happening is changeless connected each transaction: gamers and developers triumph by having much options and amended deals."

Continuing his response, Douse characterized the Epic Games' ambitions for its PC storefront arsenic resting connected "their quality to person hundreds of millions of Fortnite players into mid-hardcore premium gamers," tempted by giveaways of escaped PC titles. "I don't spot the Fortnite marque attempting to bash that," Douse continued. "So it's similar 🤷‍♀️ Maybe if determination was a shit-hot Untreal Tournament.

"The Apple & Google stores spent a decennary devaluing games & apps to a constituent wherever it is mostly intolerable to merchantability a premium crippled determination successful a mode that doesn't massively devalue it connected different systems. Giving everyone everything for escaped mightiness bump numbers but doesn't make a viable storefront from which to merchantability premium experiences."

Douse's thread caught the attraction of Remedy itself, who past replied with the pursuing statement:

"Hi. There would beryllium nary Alan Wake 2 without Epic Publishing. The publishing woody with Epic was precise just to Remedy. While these analyzable deals tin often instrumentality adjacent a twelvemonth to scope their conclusion, and whitethorn not ever beryllium just to the developer, this 1 was. And it lone took months to get done. Epic Games was, and is, an fantabulous spouse to us. Steam oregon nary Steam."

For its adjacent game, Control Resonant, Remedy has entered into a concern with Annapurna Pictures that volition spot the institution money 50% of the improvement of the Control sequel, portion Annapurna creates movie and TV spin-offs of Control and Alan Wake.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social