At more than a decade old at this point, Remedy Entertainment's Xbox 360 exclusive Alan Wake has a dedicated fan base that has been waiting for either a sequel or a remake. When the remaster of the 2010 survival horror game Alan Wake was announced last week, the community became collectively excited, especially when the release date was also unveiled soon after, and that it's just weeks away. Of course, there are still hopes and rumors that a sequel will also be made, and while nothing has been confirmed, it is possible that Alan Wake 2 may already be in the early stages of development.
The rumor stems from paywalled stream "Giant Bomb" and reported by VGC, which states that the next installment of Alan Wake is, at the very least, in the "planning stages." Journalist Jeff Grubb says that this is something that's been discussed in the past, and although there is nothing "concrete" at the moment, he says he's hopeful that the sequel is going ahead. Given that it's allegedly being planned out, it's unlikely that the studio will "derail" the project, according to Grubb.
He also added that Remedy are "very busy" at the moment, and the remaster of the original game could be a sign that the developer is wanting to bring the series back for a second go. It's also not the first time these rumors have been flying around. As far back as March, speculations about Alan Wake 2 being in development have been doing the rounds. It's entirely possible that it is being worked on and, in fact, it would make sense that a sequel would be inevitable given how popular the first game was.
Outside of the "Giant Bomb" stream, nothing else is known about what Remedy Entertainment is currently planning once the remake is released. Recent screenshots from Alan Wake Remastered already show significant visual improvement, with the new iteration being given 4K graphics and some general tweaks to character models.
An Alan Wake 2 does make sense, not only because of how popular the original is, but because of the titular character's connection to Control, the latest game from Remedy. Studio director Sam Lake has also allegedly said that he would be interested in making another in the series. With the first game being something of a horror gem on the last generation of consoles, on top of the rumors and Remedy's director expressing an interest, it would seem illogical for the studio to not make a sequel.
Alan Wake Remastered will be available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X on October 5, 2021.
Source: VGC, Giant Bomb (paywall)