Remedy Supports Tim Sweeney: “Alan Wake 2 Wouldn’t Exist Without Epic”

The choice of launcher for PC games might seem minor to some, but when a title is exclusive to a platform like the Epic Games Store instead of the more widely used Steam, it can significantly impact its audience. Tim Sweeney, the CEO of Epic, has been vocal about the benefits of capitalism and competition, claiming that both developers and gamers benefit from having choices.

Epic and Steam are in a constant battle for customers and sales. Sometimes Epic comes out on top, but more often, Steam does. Regardless of who wins each transaction, the real winners are gamers and developers who enjoy a wider array of options and better deals.

In response to Sweeney’s remarks, Michael Douse, the publishing director at Larian Studios, pointed out that some of Epic’s publishing agreements seem to contradict Sweeney’s belief in providing options for developers and players. He highlighted that Alan Wake 2, the acclaimed horror sequel from Remedy Entertainment, is exclusively available on the Epic Games Store, not on Steam. Remedy has reported significant financial losses in recent years, largely due to the poor performance of its co-op shooter, FBC Firebreak. Douse argues that by limiting Alan Wake 2 to a less popular platform, Remedy could be missing out on “potentially hundreds of millions in lost revenue.”

Douse noted, “Not that they need the money, but a percentage take to Epic could’ve recouped dev costs and more. Competition is good and important, but it’s hard to buy into that message when there are clear examples of games underperforming because of these tactics. Ultimately, the success of the store hinges on their ability to convert millions of Fortnite players into mid-hardcore premium gamers, and I don’t see the Fortnite brand making that leap.”

Some believe that if Epic wants to maintain a consistent positive message towards developers, it could easily improve its public relations by allowing games to launch on Steam once the initial sales have been made and the user acquisition costs have diminished.

Interestingly, there are hints that Alan Wake 2 might finally be heading to Steam after nearly three years. Recently, an Alan Wake “franchise” bundle on Steam, which included the original game and the American Nightmare spin-off, was renamed “Origins.” This change suggests that the collection may no longer represent the complete “franchise” as it stands on Steam. If this is the case, Remedy could see a boost in Alan Wake 2 sales. However, it’s crucial to note that despite Sweeney’s emphasis on competition and options, if the agreements studios must enter into with Epic put them at a disadvantage, it raises questions about the sincerity of that message.

Update: Remedy has responded to the situation, stating that while some publishing deals may not favor developers, the agreement it made with Epic was “fair” to the studio.

“Hi. There would be no Alan Wake 2 without Epic Publishing. The publishing deal with Epic was very fair to Remedy. While these complex deals can often take even a year to finalize and may not always be favorable to developers, this one was. It only took months to complete. Epic Games was, and is, an excellent partner to us. Steam or no Steam.”