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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Alan Wake 2 is among the most impressive games releasing in the coming months, and the fact that a relatively small team is developing it makes the next title by Remedy even more impressive.

The studio's Communications Director Thomas Puha revealed that the game is being done with about 130 people on average for about four years of development time. Considering how good the game looks, it is extremely impressive how Remedy has achieved this with a very small team compared to almost every AAA production.

In addition, Alan Wake 2 was developed under some difficult conditions, which made it the toughest game developed by Remedy. During these years, the studio had to deal with the difficulties of the pandemic as well as the challenges that came from the studio going through its biggest transformation in 28 years of history.

Alan Wake 2 is setting out to be one of the best games releasing in these final few months of 2023. During Gamescom, it was confirmed that the game will launch on PC with path tracing and DLSS 3.5 support, which will only improve its unique atmosphere even further.

Alan Wake 2 launches on October 27th on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and Xbox Series S worldwide.

Alan Wake 2 Is Being Developed by Around 130 People; It's The "Toughest" Game Done by Remedy

According to Remedy's Communications Director Thomas Puha, Alan Wake 2 is being developed by a small team, for AAA standards

wccftech.com

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Only 130 members?! That’s crazy low these days compared to those teams of 500+.,,Im legit excited for this game as I loved the first one.

 

[Beer Baelly]

Hence we cant do physical

 

[vaibhavpisal]

Game's looking great.

Will get close to release.

 

[masterkajo]

The first one was really great. I am looking forward to this one.

 

[DavidGzz]

It's already been too long since RE4, I am ready for the next survival horror feeling game even if it's a different flavor. It looks so good!

 

[Toots]

As great as AW 2 looks from what we have seen, this gives me huge "lowering expectations because you did a shitty job" vibes :/
Like when you're in highschool and you need to find excuses for how lame and uninspired your presentation is, and you cannot say it's because you did it in 10 minutes just before entering class.

 

[DenchDeckard]

Jeeeez. Deffo supporting.

I always was, but 130 seems like nothing for a game that looks like this.

 

[kikkis]

Jeeeez. Deffo supporting.

I always was, but 130 seems like nothing for a game that looks like this.

Art assets are probably outsourced for the most part so it's not that small in a way.

 

[Luipadre]

Meanwhile ubisoft making trash like skull and bones with 10 studios over 10 years. Remedy has great management

 

[Mr Hyde]

Is this game only releasing on Epic? Would like it on Steam. Otherwise I'll have to get it on PS5, but would much rather have it on PC to be honest.

 

[Xtib81]

I mean, it's not a small team either. That's about as many developers as Sucker Punch and Tlou2 was made by 200 people.

 

[Morrie’s wig shop]

I don’t think that’s all that small.

I just can’t believe I get to play a sequel to a game that I completed in 2010. 13 years ago.

 

[Negotiator101]

Is this game only releasing on Epic? Would like it on Steam. Otherwise I'll have to get it on PS5, but would much rather have it on PC to be honest.

May I ask the reason for not using Epic?

 

[HL3.exe]

That's crazy. CONTROL had a similarly small team, and medium budget to boot (30 mil, if i'm remembering correctly).

Incredibly talented group of folks there in Finland.

 

[Cyberpunkd]

Maybe they can do Control 2 once they are done with this.

 

[Reizo Ryuu]

Only 130 members?! That’s crazy low these days compared to those teams of 500+

Well, yes, if you are going to compare them with the absolute biggest studios it might seem "low", but those studios aren't the norm, 130 is a lot of people to be working on a game.

 

[HL3.exe]

I don’t think that’s all that small.

I just can’t believe I get to play a sequel to a game that I completed in 2010. 13 years ago.

Just to get a scope idea. Mobygames show the number of people working on a game.

Cyberpunk 2077 credits (Windows, 2020) - MobyGames

The official game credits for Cyberpunk 2077 released on Windows in 2020. The credits include 3,560 people.

www.mobygames.com

3,556 people working in it. cutting that number in half usually is the core dev team, but that's still incredibly large.

Just used Cyberpunk as an random example, but you can search pretty much every game.

 

[GymWolf]

130 devs is a mid to relatively big studio, days gone started development with like 90 people i think and it's a way bigger game.

 

[Hudo]

So is this the only project they are actively working on? Because they have already announced they're doing a Control 2 and the Max Payne 1 & 2 Remakes. Are these also being worked on by different teams or are they "just" scheduled to come after?

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

So is this the only project they are actively working on? Because they have already announced they're doing a Control 2 and the Max Payne 1 & 2 Remakes. Are these also being worked on by different teams or are they "just" scheduled to come after?

Don't think so as a quick google says that as of April 2023 they have around 360 employees. Presumably the remaining devs are spread between Control 2 and Max Payne.

 

[Hudo]

Don't think so as a quick google says that as of April 2023 they have around 360 employees. Presumably the remaining devs are spread between Control 2 and Max Payne.

Thanks, man!

I am just asking because while I am excited for Alan Wake 2, I am also excited for Max Payne 1 & 2 and Control 2. It's actually very rare that I am genuinely excited for everything a studio is currently working on. Weird feeling. They must be doing something right, I guess.

 

[SJRB]

Mad respect for Remedy. Amazing studio.

 

[Negotiator101]

Don't usually buy full price as I've got Gamepass but I'm excited for this and as long as reviews are decent 80+ I'll support the developer and buy this.

 

[Leviathicus]

I really dislike this game being sold on Epic Store, I'm still debating about buying it or not just because I have all my games on Steam.

 

[Zuzu]

Wow it's gonna have path-tracing. This game is going to be amazing looking.

 

[Punished Miku]

I already bought it.

 

[adamsapple]

Day 1 regardless of being digital only. Big Remedy nut here.

 

[Mr Hyde]

May I ask the reason for not using Epic?

No particular reason. I just prefer having my games on Steam and GoG. I think they have much better clients and storefronts.

 

[radewagon]

Hence we cant do physical

Man, if Trine: The Clockwork Conspiracy, Cult of Lamb, Dredge, and some never heard of it title called Jitsu Squad and another called The Outbound Ghost can all have physical PS5 releases, then so can the new Alan Wake.

Such a weird decision not to. Which is a shame, I'd get it release day on physical, but for digital, I'll be waiting for a significant discount.

 

[DaGwaphics]

It's nice to hear that things are moving along well with their multi-game approach. Should result in more games from them, which is the total opposite of the general trend.

 

[iorek21]

Can’t grasp at the fact that some people who weren’t even born when the first one came out are already 13yo.

 

[rofif]

Remedy is done for me. Tencent got them. Epic got them.
Qb was bad and control was even worse. Alan wake was their last truly good game that had this quirky remedy feel.

And no physical release. I am not excited

 

[Tomi]

Give us Control 2!

 

[Punished Miku]

Remedy is done for me. Tencent got them. Epic got them.
Qb was bad and control was even worse. Alan wake was their last truly good game that had this quirky remedy feel.

And no physical release. I am not excited

I'm more excited for this than RE4R and Dead Space because it's actually new. I'm also a big fan of mixing in live action film with gaming since it hasn't really been done a lot. That was one of the coolest parts of Quantum Break, and I missed that in Control.

As for their funding issues, that's how it goes when you're an independent AA+/AAA studio these days, and it's not like they have huge selling games either. They really are not going to have much choice but acquisition soon if they can't secure some kind of funding. They even had to take a payout for Crossfire X.

 

[Badlucktroll]

i wish remedy was one of the studios making silent hill

 

[Grildon Tundy]

i wish remedy was one of the studios making silent hill

Their "horror" in their games outside of the OG Max Paynes has been lacking. Alan Wake and Control were interesting and weird, but not scary. Quantum Break wasn't even going for horror.. their games are more like an amusement park horror-themed ride than true horror.

But Alan Wake 2 looks like they might pull off an actually-scary game based on footage of those shadow figures in the subway.

 

[UnsanctionedBuffoonery]

Remedy going under its biggest transformation in its 28 year history which presents its own challenges (same as many other devs)

translation: Time to go woke and get rid of all those problematic straight males and their problematic masculinity and replace them with bright haired diversity hires and token minorities.

 

[analog_future]

Remedy is such an amazing company. Their unique brand of content that they bring to the gaming sphere is such a boon to the medium.

Even though not every one of their games vibes with me, no one really does it like them. They're invaluable to the industry.

 

[analog_future]

translation: Time to go woke and get rid of all those problematic straight males and their problematic masculinity

It's hard for me to grasp how people like this can be so ridiculously insecure

 

[UnsanctionedBuffoonery]

It's hard for me to grasp how people like this can be so ridiculously insecure

Spoken like a true Reeee refugee. Got banned there so you just settled for GAF instead?

 

[Kataploom]

Man, if Trine: The Clockwork Conspiracy, Cult of Lamb, Dredge, and some never heard of it title called Jitsu Squad and another called The Outbound Ghost can all have physical PS5 releases, then so can the new Alan Wake.

Such a weird decision not to. Which is a shame, I'd get it release day on physical, but for digital, I'll be waiting for a significant discount.

That was an Epic mandate imo, they're the publisher

 

[Lucifers Beard]

translation: Time to go woke and get rid of all those problematic straight males and their problematic masculinity and replace them with bright haired diversity hires and token minorities.

Username checks out.

 

[SHA]

Jeeeez. Deffo supporting.

I always was, but 130 seems like nothing for a game that looks like this.

They don’t seem ordinary devs.

 

[rofif]

They don’t seem ordinary devs.

 

[SHA]

You hate the game? It's not perfect for me either but I play every horror game, they're scares, I don't have arguments to my favorite genre, they don't matter to me.

 

[Punished Miku]

i wish remedy was one of the studios making silent hill

Just pretend the game is called Silent Hill lol.

 

[ungalo]

The kind of studio that could do much more with more budget, like IOI. The last big independant studios.

 

[Fbh]

That's a pretty low number but lets see the game first.

Control was fun but you could definitely feel the budget IMO between the samey environments, the focus on going back to the same locations over and over and the very low enemy variety (even some bosses are just powered up regular enemies)

I mean, it's not a small team either. That's about as many developers as Sucker Punch and Tlou2 was made by 200 people.

TLOU2 was more like 350, that's almost 3 times as many (before counting the 1000+ external people though I'm sure Alan Wake 2 has plenty of those too)

 

[Ulysses 31]

Wonder what they had at their disposal when they made Quantum Break.