Alan Wake 2 is delayed by 10 days because there are just way too many games coming in October

Alan Wake 2 screenshot — (Image credit: Remedy Entertainment)

The bad news is that Alan Wake 2 has been delayed. The good news is that there's not really a problem, Remedy just reckons that mid-October is too damn crowded, so it's taking a few steps back—specifically, 10 days—to make room. The delay means that instead of arriving on October 17 as planned, Alan Wake 2 will be out on October 27.

"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. "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!"

An update from the Alan Wake 2 team: we're moving Alan Wake 2's launch from October 17 to October 27. October is an amazing month for game launches and we hope this date shift gives more space for everyone to enjoy their favorite games. 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! — (Image credit: Remedy Entertainment (Twitter))

October is a pretty big month as game releases go. Assassin's Creed Mirage kicks things off on October 5 (after also moving its release date to account for the busy month), Detective Pikachu Returns follows a day later, Forza Motorsport arrives on October 10, Lords of the Fallen is set for October 13, Endless Dungeon comes on October 17, Spider-Man 2 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder both launch on October 20, Cities: Skylines 2 lands on October 24, and Mineko's Night Market—which isn't a huge heavy-hitter like the others, but I think it looks cute—finishes the month on October 26.

Also bear in mind that a lot of us will probably still be bashing around in Starfield when October rolls around—Bethesda's big sci-fi epic launches on September 6—and if we're being honest with ourselves we'll also probably still be sinking big chunks of our days into Baldur's Gate 3, too. So yeah, it's a pretty packed month.

Delaying a release to get out of the way of other releases used to be unheard of, but the sheer volume of new games has made it kind of a thing. In August, for instance, Stray Gods pushed its planned release back by a week to get out of the way of Baldur's Gate, which had already moved its own PC release date up by a month to dodge the Starfield juggernaut.

We got an up-close look at 30 minutes of Alan Wake 2 back in June during the Summer Game fest and it looked great, and far more ambitious than its predecessor. But the combat felt a little out of place in the survival horror setting: Hopefully we'll be treated to a better balance of mystery, nuance, and horror in the full release.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.