Alan Wake will make its way onto the Xbox Game Pass library next week, starting May 21. Fans and newcomers interested in playing the game on PC can purchase the standard edition through Steam for $1.50 until May 18.

Despite being released ten years ago, Alan Wake stands today as a pillar of great video game storytelling. It uses a surreal atmosphere to complement the Stephen King-inspired plot, and leverages unconventional weapons such as a flashlight, flares, and even fireworks to fight off hoards of shadowy enemies called the "Taken." The game takes place almost entirely in the small, fictional town of Bright Falls, Washington, which acts as a character itself the more you uncover its history.

Critical reception of the game was generally high when it released on May 14, 2010, but due to a 5-year development cycle, lack of marketing, and Red Dead Redemption releasing the same day, Alan Wake initially suffered in sales. It wasn't until months later that sales picked up due to word-of-mouth praise, making Alan Wake the cult classic it is today.

Remedy Entertainment, the developers of Alan Wake and the Max Payne series, later released two pieces of DLC as "specials," going in theme with the game's episodic format. The first is titled The Signal while the second is called The Writer, both of which expand upon the game's cryptic ending.

Remedy also released a spin-off on February 22, 2012 called Alan Wake's American Nightmare. The game received similar praise to its predecessor, but shifts away from the original's darker tone by borrowing from pulp fiction and black comedy tropes.

As of now, it's uncertain whether the two DLC or American Nightmare will come to the Xbox Game Pass at the same time as the base game. In 2019, Remedy reaquired the publishing rights to Alan Wake from Microsoft, allowing the company to publish its property on any platform. However, many fans played the game on Xbox 360 when it was a console exclusive, so it's likely that all of the Alan Wake content will be added to the Xbox Game Pass over time.

As for development on any future Alan Wake games, nothing has been mentioned yet. Promotional artwork for the Control expansion, AWE, borrows assets from the original Alan Wake cover, so it's likely the expansion will tie into it somehow. Otherwise, Remedy is aware that fans want to see an official Alan Wake sequel, but whether one will be released is still up for debate.