Alan Wake 2 is digital only to add more “polish” to the long-awaited horror sequel
No physical scares
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Alan Wake 2will have a digital-only release as confirmed by members of the development team. The horror sequel is slated for October 17 of this year.
Alan Wake 2is one of thebiggest upcoming gamesof the year as this long-awaited Remedy-developed thriller shooter comes over a decade after the original.Speaking to Eurogamer, Creative director Sam Lake and game director Kyle Rowley explained that this was because they wanted to ditch physical media to ensure a more complete experience closer to the release period.
Rowley explained that: “As creatives obviously, by going digital-only it does allow us more time to polish the game” continuing with: “Like, a significant amount of weeks actually. Because otherwise, the game that goes on the disc, obviously it has to be playable without a patch”. Lake commented that: “Yeah, it is digital only, and kind of coming to this idea, both from Remedy and Epic’s perspective, that’s our current thinking. It just felt it makes sense for this, and the timing felt right”.
Theofficial FAQ forAlan Wake 2also explains this decision from a technical standpoint. One of the points made details the changing markets toward consoles going entirely digital: “A large number of players have shifted to digital-only” which is followed up by: " It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only". Considering the popularity of the cheaperXbox Series Sand the PS5 Digital Edition, more affordable versions of theXbox Series XandPS5, there certainly seems to be validity to these claims.
It is also reported that: “there are currently no plans to release Alan Wake 2 on disc” which is compounded by a statement reading: “Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game”. Pricing also appears to have been a factor, asAlan Wake 2launches at $59.99 / £49.99 (AU$90.95), and “not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game” down.
Since many of thebest Xbox Series X gamesandbest PS5 gameshover around the pricier $69.99 / £69.99 (AU$120), it stands to reason that Remedy would want to keep their prices lower by comparison. However, a digital-only release does raise concerns surrounding the preservation of the game in the long term. With licenses expiring, and digital games historically being removed from stores after a certain amount of years, it remains unclear exactly how long titles likeAlan Wake 2will remain playable for in the years to come; something that could be circumvented by having a version playable on disc.
Alan Wake 2is scheduled to release on PC via theEpic GamesStore – hardly a novelty for the platform. That said, it appears that consoles are moving in a similar direction as services such asXbox Game PassandPS Plus Game Catalogbecome more commonplace than having a physical disk and box on your shelf.
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We’re excited for Alan Wake 2 and think it has all the makings of one of thebest horror gamesto release in many years. If you want to get the most immersive experience when it comes to horror, then we recommend turning your attention to either thebest Xbox Series X headsetsor one of thebest PS5 headsets.
Aleksha McLoughlin is an experienced hardware writer. She was previously the Hardware Editor for TechRadar Gaming until September 2023. During this time, she looked after buying guides and wrote hardware reviews, news, and features. She has also contributed hardware content to the likes of PC Gamer, Trusted Reviews, Dexerto, Expert Reviews, and Android Central. When she isn’t working, you’ll often find her in mosh pits at metal gigs and festivals or listening to whatever new black and death metal has debuted that week.
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