Alan Wake 2: Lack Of Sales Update Suggests It Didn’t Sell Too Well

It’s been almost two months since Alan Wake 2 was released. While the game is undoubtedly a massive success among the fans, the financial numbers might not have lived up to expectations.

Despite this impressive horror release, Remedy Entertainment has yet to announce any sales figures, suggesting the game didn’t sell well. 

Why it matters: Alan Wake 2 bagged multiple awards (Best Art Direction, Narrative, and Direction) at The Game Awards, so there is no doubt about its quality. However, this success may not have been reflected in the sales figures.

Got a few questions on Alan Wake II performance…

According to Circana's Player Engagement Tracker, Alan Wake II ranked 147th in November active user count on XBS and was 113th on PlayStation 5.

— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) December 13, 2023

Concerns were raised when Mat Piscatella from Circana reported that the game failed to make it among the top 100 played titles on Xbox and PlayStation. While Epic Games sales weren’t included, this was a major red flag.

In a year like 2023, Remnant 2 sold 1 million copies in a week. Therefore, there was reason to believe Alan Wake 2 would achieve even better results, but nearly two months after launch, Remedy Entertainment has not made any announcements.

If the game has indeed sold poorly, there could be a few reasons for this outcome. On PC, Alan Wake 2 is an Epic Games exclusive. Most people dislike the publisher compared to other platforms like Steam or GOG. Therefore, the sales may have taken a hit after this decision.

Furthermore, the horror game did not get a physical release. Despite the digital age, many people still prefer to buy physical copies. Both factors combined may have resulted in poor performance for Alan Wake 2.

Ampere Analysis predicts the game sold around 850K copies on consoles. While not terrible, this result is a bit of a letdown for a game with so much excitement. Since the studio is yet to announce the 1 million milestone, the total sales across all platforms may be just behind this figure.

Our global Alan Wake 2 sales estimate across console end of Nov is ~850k

Think there will be a fair amount of interest at a reduced price, and then there is sub service inclusion down the line (I assume)

Worth noting that AW Remastered got a decent boost in Oct/Nov as well pic.twitter.com/GtI1DFcomQ

— Piers Harding-Rolls (@PiersHR) December 13, 2023

Admittedly, this franchise was more of an obscure IP before the recent release. This meant there wasn’t much excitement leading up to the game’s release, but the critical reception was an eye-opener for many.

Even with the lack of sales figures, there is no denying that Alan Wake 2 is easily one of this year’s best games. It highlights that horror games can separate themselves from Resident Evil or Silent Hill, showcasing the developer’s unique take on this genre.

The studio’s last game, Control, achieved 3 million sales last year.

This game had a budget of less than $30 million, making more than $92 million in revenue. While Remedy Entertainment’s latest release might not boast similar success, partnering with Epic Games likely made up for this middling performance.

Measures like the recent “Herald of Darkness” performance at TGA 2023 and future discounts could also lead to a surge in sales eventually. Therefore, the studio may be nearly ready to announce a major milestone, but we remain concerned about the game for now.

Abdullah Waseem

Abdullah is an avid gamer who primarily plays single-player titles. If you can’t find him anywhere, he’ll probably be at his desk playing The Witcher 3 for the millionth time. When he isn’t playing games, he’s either reading or writing about them.