Remedy Entertainment’s latest offering, Alan Wake 2, has been topping charts for its brilliant gameplay and storyline. However, fans of the franchise are still confused about whether the title will be available on Steam, Valve’s very own video game storefront.
Alan Wake 2 has justified its massive anticipation by delivering a thrilling experience for gamers and horror fans alike. The game, which follows the journey of two different protagonists, has been hailed for seamlessly blending in-game cutscenes, in-engine gameplay, and real-time cinematic footage. Yet, people who prefer to buy their games on Valve’s storefront were alarmed when they learned that the game was published by Epic Games Publishing. That being said, let’s dive in and find out if Alan Wake 2 is available on Steam, shall we?
Why is Alan Wake 2 not on Steam?
Although the original Alan Wake released for the Xbox 360 in 2010, Remedy Entertainment brought it to PC and made it available on Steam in February 2012. Incidentally, in May of the same year, Remedy also released their spin-off title, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare, on Valve’s storefront. In fact, people looking to play these original titles can still find them being sold on Steam as a bundle offer, and that is the reason why Alan Wake 2’s unavailability raised so many eyebrows.
However, as much as we hate being the bearer of bad news, we are sorry to report that neither Alan Wake Remastered nor Alan Wake 2 is available on Steam at this moment. The reason behind this is Remedy’s deal with Epic Games, in which the latter helped during development and even published both titles in exchange for them being sold exclusively on the Epic Games Store. Moreover, readers might also remember how Remedy’s Control had a similar deal and released exclusively on the Epic Games Store before coming over to Steam a year later.
Unfortunately, there is not enough information to predict if Alan Wake II will ever come to Steam, but the fact that Alan Wake Remastered is still an Epic exclusive after two years of release doesn’t bode well for Valve fans. Moreover, during an interview, Steve Allison, the Vice President and General Manager of Epic Games Store insisted that Alan Wake’s new outing will remain exclusive to the Epic Games Store long after its release. Hence, PC players looking to explore The Dark Place in the new iteration have no choice but to wait or buy it directly from Epic.
Workarounds to avoid the Epic Games Launcher
Steam is one of the oldest digital video game storefronts out there, and the primary reason people prefer purchasing their games on Valve’s storefront is to keep all their titles in a single place. However, with the advent of several other storefronts on the market, GOG.com has come up with a solution to the confusion in the form of GOG Galaxy. GOG Galaxy is an all-encompassing launcher that allows a user to link different platforms so that they can see all their game purchases and friends under a single window.
Hence, gamers disappointed by Alan Wake 2’s unavailability on Steam can install the GOG Galaxy launcher from its official site. Once installed, players can link the launcher to different storefronts and platforms to get all their games in a single place. However, do take note that launching a game from GOG Galaxy will also launch the title’s respective storefront before you can start playing normally.
Lastly, players can also add Alan Wake 2 as a Non-Steam Game to their Steam Library. This will help users port their Steam Big Picture Mode and controller setting over to the new game, even though it is not available for purchase on Valve’s storefront.
