Remedy gain publishing rights to their Alan Wake franchise

Could the cult horror survival game be making a comeback?

Remedy Entertainment, the creators of the noir series Max Payne and joint TV and game venture Quantum Break, have acquired their Alan Wake series from the IP owner Microsoft it was revealed today.

The news was revealed by Globe-News Wire, which disclosed the company’s earnings based on previously released games. It confirmed there that the publishing rights to the IP had reverted to the developer, who developed both of the previous games in the series. Microsoft has previously had the IP as it was a console exclusive and the game was originally made exclusively for the Xbox 360.

The series, which consisted of Alan Wake and downloadable title Alan Wake American Nightmare on the Xbox 360 and later the PC, was something of a cult hit when it first launched. The original, a horror game that relied on the use of protagonist Alan’s flashlight, it was lauded for its story, thrilling atmosphere and gameplay, only held back by some technical issues. American Nightmare, a spin-off the first game, was less well received but still a game worth playing if you enjoyed the themes of the first game.

This now means that the two titles could make their way to the PlayStation brand for the first time. With the original having reached around two million units in sales, there’s also an outside chance that a full sequel could be on the way, especially as Remedy is currently finishing up development on their latest title, supernatural action-adventure title Control. They are also due to assist in the development of the sequel to CrossFire, one of the most popular ever first-person shooters, with original team Smilegate, though the level of their involvement may mean a sequel or at least an HD remaster for current gen systems of the original Alan Wake could be in the works.