Alan Wake 2 steps into the dark in October

The writer encounters some new scares this year

Alan Wake’s will arrive just in time for Halloween. Remedy Entertainment has announced that Alan Wake 2 will arrive on October 17, 2023.

The date arrived alongside a new trailer at today’s PlayStation Showcase. Remedy showed off all the dark horrors that await Alan is this new adventure, include what looks like some creepy cultists and a new protagonist.

Today’s trailer features both Alan and Saga Anderson, a new character. Saga is an “FBI profiler with a reputation for solving unsolvable cases,” who heads to Bright Falls to look into a string of ritual murders. Alan, meanwhile, is a writer trapped in a nightmare prison, trying to keep his sanity and escape horrors.

While Control did link the Alan Wake universe into its own with the AWE expansion, Remedy says they’re not required playing to understand Alan Wake 2. For those who are into the universe, though, it is recommended.

Going digital

Interestingly, the Remedy FAQ also confirms a few other facts about the Alan Wake sequel. Notably, Alan Wake 2 will be a digital-only release. It’s a notable point, as the original Alan Wake ran into delisting issues.

The studio says it’s going digital because a “large number” of players have shifted to digital-only. They also cite the PS5’s disc drive-less option and Microsoft’s digital-only Series S. Also, Remedy says it doesn’t want to ship a disc game with a required download.

Remedy also says not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game down. Alan Wake 2 will retail for $59.9 on consoles, while the PC version will be $49.99. And currently, there are no plans to release an Alan Wake 2 disc. The FAQ also notes that an Expansion Pass with two planned expansions, Night Springs and Lake House, are in store for the sequel. The pass, plus other add-ons, will be part of the Deluxe Edition of the game.

Alan Wake 2 is currently set to launch on October 17 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.