Remedy Entertainment’s psychological horror action-adventure title, Alan Wake, is set to disappear from Steam indefinitely on Monday May 15 due to expiring music licenses. If you want to pick up the game, you’ll need to do so before then — though it may be worth waiting for the 90 percent off Sunset Sale to start on May 13.
Although well remembered for its pacing and narrative, Alan Wake also features a number of songs from famed artists and groups like David Bowie and Depeche Mode. Although Remedy hasn’t made it clear which song or songs it will no longer have the license to use, it’s because of them that the game will not be salable in digital or physical form in the near future.
Although the original Alan Wake game and all of its DLC will be removed from Steam and other digital and physical stores, they will still be playable for those that own them. That’s why Remedy is putting the game up for sale at 90 percent off over the weekend. The sale doesn’t start until 10 a.m. PT on Saturday May 13 though, so don’t rush out and buy it just yet if you want to get the biggest savings.
This may not be the last time that the game is ever sold, as Remedy’s forum post on the matter claims that it is attempting to relicense the music for the game, but has no idea on how long that will take or if it will ever happen. So it’s safe to say that Alan Wake will not be available for some time following the takedown.
Although it will remain available following the sale, pseudo-sequel, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare will also be discounted this coming weekend.
The discount may apply elsewhere, too, though Remedy has said it doesn’t control what sites like GoG apply to their games, so it may be that the deals for the games are different depending on where you shop.