Is Alan Wake 2 digital only? Pre-order bonuses, editions, and more explored

Alan Wake 2 is easily one of the most anticipated games of 2023, especially after the phenomenal gameplay trailer that debuted during the recently held PlayStation Showcase. The new trailer for the sequel came with a plethora of additional information regarding the game's release date, pre-order bundles as well as the rather disappointing news of it being a digital-only release for consoles and PC.

Remedy Entertainment, the developers behind the phenomenal Max Payne series, Quantum Break, Control, Alan Wake, and now Alan Wake 2, detailed a lot of information regarding the new game as well as the reason behind its digital-only availability. A dedicated FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) page on the official Alan Wake website details everything that players need to know before pre-ordering Alan Wake 2.

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Why Alan Wake 2 is digital-only

Fans have been waiting for a sequel to the original Alan Wake for more than a decade. While the new title seems to be a major improvement over its predecessor, the digital-only release is indeed a disappointment, especially for players who prefer to get physical copies of console games. Regarding the reason behind the game's digital-only release, Remedy states:

"There are many reasons for this. For one, a large number of have shifted to digital only. You can buy a Sony PlayStation 5 without a disc drive and Microsoft’s Xbox Series S is a digital only console. It is not uncommon to release modern games as digital-only."

They also mentioned price as one of the major factors behind the game's digital-only release, saying:

"Secondly, not releasing a disc helps keep the price of the game at $59.99 / €59.99 and the PC version at $49.99 / €49.99."

They clarified the reason for the decision:

"Finally, we did not want to ship a disc product and have it require a download for the game — we do not think this would make for a great experience either."

While it is understandable on some level why Remedy chose not to ship physical copies of Alan Wake 2, it is still disappointing for many fans who were looking forward to the game's disc-based release. The studio has also mentioned that there are currently no plans for shipping the game on a disc, with all pre-release as well as post-release sales of the sequel being digital-only for all platforms.

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Alan Wake 2's pre-order bonuses, editions, and more

Alongside the announcement of the game's digital-only release, Remedy has also laid down details regarding the game's pre-order bonuses as well as the digital editions.

Much like any other major AAA release, Alan Wake 2 is offered in two different editions, a Standard Edition, priced at $49.99 (PC) and $59.99 (consoles), as well as a Deluxe Edition, priced at $69.99 (PC) and $79.99 (consoles).

The Standard Edition includes:

• Base game
• Pre-order bonuses

The Deluxe Edition includes:

• Base game
• Pre-order bonuses
• Expansion Pass
• Night Springs Expansion (additional story content)
• Lake House Expansion (additional story content)
• Nordic Shotgun Skin for Saga
• Crimson Windbreaker for Saga
• Celebrity Suit for Alan
• Parliament Shotgun Skin for Alan
• Lantern Charm for Saga

The Expansion Pass content (including two major story DLCs) will be released at a later date, post-release. The pre-order bonus includes:

• Ornate Revolver Skin for Alan
• Survival Resources Pack for Saga

Alan Wake 2, unlike its predecessor, is a survival-horror game where players will be able to take control of two protagonists: FBI agent Saga Anderson and the series' titular character, Alan Wake himself.

While details regarding the sequel's story are still scarce, Remedy has confirmed that the narrative for their upcoming game will be much darker and filled with "intense suspense and unexpected twists."

Alan Wake 2 is scheduled to release October 17, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Windows PC (exclusively via Epic Games Store).