Remedy Entertainment creative director Sam Lake says that Alan Wake 2 was intentionally delayed to avoid clashing with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Back in August, the developer announced that it had moved the game's release date from October 17 to October 27, not for last-minute polish for the highly anticipated horror sequel, but because this month is filled with so many launches.
"October is an amazing month for game launches and we hope this date shift gives more space for everyone to enjoy their favorite games," Remedy said at the time. "We can't wait to show you what everyone's favorite novelist is up to in the Dark Place next week. Thanks for your patience!"
Now in a recent interview with BBC, Alan Wake 2's director said that the decision was made because it would've released too close to Marvel's Spider-Man 2 - which just launched on October 20 for PS5.
According to the publication, Lake said that the game's original release date was pushed back 10 days to "get out from under Spider-Man 2", but he went on to praise the PS5 exclusive, and called other 2023 hits "massive, massive, wonderful, wonderful games". However, Lake says that Alan Wake 2 isn't "directly competing" with them.
It seems the decision to delay Alan Wake 2 might have been a good idea, as recent reports indicate that Spider-Man 2 has achieved massive support in the way of sales and critical acclaim. The sequel has managed to sell over 2.5 million copies, making it the fastest-selling PlayStation Studios game ever, beating the likes of God of War: Ragnarök.
Alan Wake 2 launches tomorrow (October 27) on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC and will once again see the return of horror novelist Alan Wake, as well as introduce an FBI agent, Saga Anderson, as the second playable character as they both try to unravel a dark mystery.
The game's release comes just in time for Halloween, so if you're looking for something to set the mood, check out our lists of the best horror games and the best indie horror games you can play right now.