Remedy Entertainment came out swinging after Michael Douse publicly questioned the studio’s Epic Games publishing arrangement for Alan Wake 2.
Douse is Publishing Director at Larian Studios. He posted on X that Remedy “seemingly went into financial crisis” and suggested the developer missed out on “potentially hundreds of millions” in revenue because Alan Wake 2 couldn’t launch on Steam under its Epic deal.
Remedy wasn’t having it. The Finnish studio responded by calling the Epic agreement “very fair” and emphasized a key detail Douse’s speculation overlooked.
Epic didn’t just pay for timed exclusivity. Epic Games Publishing funded Alan Wake 2‘s entire development and marketing budget. Without that partnership, Remedy has indicated the game wouldn’t exist in its current form at all.
The response highlighted what many in the industry already knew. Alan Wake 2 is a massive, cinematic single-player experience with a production budget to match. Remedy has historically needed external financing partners to realize its ambitious projects.
Epic’s publishing model differs from traditional deals where a publisher simply pays for exclusivity on a finished game. When Epic Games Publishing funds a title from development through launch, the PC distribution naturally stays within Epic’s ecosystem.
Alan Wake 2 launched on PlayStation five, Xbox Series X|S, and PC exclusively through Epic Games Store. That’s not a timed exclusive situation. Epic owns the publishing rights as the company that bankrolled the project.
Douse offered no evidence or calculations supporting his “hundreds of millions” claim. His posts were outside commentary on another studio’s business arrangement, not statements based on internal financial data.
The Steam versus Epic debate has raged since Epic Games Store launched in 2018. Steam dominates PC gaming with built-in discoverability, wishlists, and a massive user base. Epic has countered with exclusives and a more favorable revenue split for developers.
Money talks
For premium single-player games requiring significant budgets, securing upfront funding often matters more than theoretical sales projections. Remedy chose certainty over speculation.
The studio’s defense makes clear it views the Epic partnership as the reason Alan Wake 2 exists, not the reason it faced any financial pressure. Whatever challenges Remedy encountered, the company isn’t blaming its publishing deal.
