Will Alan Wake 2 ever come to Steam? Epic's PC exclusivity explained

It’s no surprise folk want to see what it’s all about – critics have been raving about the stunning visuals and unique storytelling, as can be seen in our review round-up.

At one point it seemed PC users might have never given Alan Wake 2 a chance, as there was fervent furore surrounding the minimum and recommended specifications.

This was on top of the already controversial decision to eschew a physical release and go for digital only.

PC players have been used to digital games for years and now it’s clear most can run Alan Wake 2 – so let’s get some answers for this (hopefully) final debate.

Why isn’t Alan Wake 2 on Steam?

Alan Wake 2 isn’t on Steam because it is published by Epic Games Publishing.

Being published by Epic, they have a PC exclusivity deal on Remedy’s latest title, much in the same way they did for their last title, Control.

Epic Games recently announced a new scheme for the Epic Game Store (EGS) dubbed Epic First Run. This sees developers keeping between 88 and 100 per cent of the revenue their game makes for six months.

It’s unclear if Remedy is part of this, but it's evident Epic is trying to skim some of the PC market share from Valve and their storefront, Steam.

According to Enterprise Apps Today, "Steam accounts for 50 to 70 per cent of all PC game downloads around the world."

Will Alan Wake 2 ever come to Steam?

Maybe, that is the best answer we can give currently. As we said earlier, Control was an EGS exclusive and released on 27th August 2019 before releasing on Steam one year later to the day.

That all bodes well for a Steam release but, befitting of the mysterious circumstances in the game, Alan Wake Remastered is spookily absent from Valve’s store - despite it releasing over a year ago.

Many PC users don’t use EGS, and the numbers provided by Enterprise Apps Today prove that it is a colossal market to leave untapped.

In September, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney announced that they were laying off "around 830 staff" on the Epic website due to the fact the company has "been spending way more money than we earn".

With this in mind, Epic may feel economically compelled to press on with a Steam release in a similar fashion to how they did with Control, as Alan Wake 2 is proving to be a bit of a 'moment' in the video games world, with many players scrambling to play it.

This could, of course, work in their favour, but it remains to be seen – especially if Alan Wake 2 is part of the Epic First Run scheme and they see little in return.

This is all speculation, however. When we know more regarding the situation, we will – as always – update you with the latest information.

Read more on Alan Wake 2:

• Will there be an Alan Wake 2 physical release? - physical edition explained
• Alan Wake 2 PC requirements - can you run it?
• Alan Wake 2 Expansion Pass - when is the DLC coming?
• Alan Wake New Game Plus - when is the 'alternative' mode launching?
• Is Alan Wake 2 on Game Pass? - how to play the game cheaper
• Alan Wake 2 missions list - how many chapters are there?
• Alan Wake 2 cast - where you know the voice actors from

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