Xbox has officially revoked access to Alan Wake Remastered for players who obtained it for free during a brief promotional error. The issue stemmed from a free trial for Alan Wake 2 coinciding with a special promotion bundling both Alan Wake Remastered and its sequel.  This unintended overlap allowed some players to claim the full version of the remastered original without paying.

Although Microsoft quickly addressed the loophole, those who benefited from the glitch retained access to Alan Wake Remastered for several months. However,  Xbox has recently begun notifying affected players that their free access has been removed. The message informs them that the free acquisition was unintentional and requires purchase for continued access.

Alan Wake 2 has also recently received a PC update, adding new features for Nvidia RTX GPU users. This is separate from the Remastered access removal.

While this news is undoubtedly disappointing for those who enjoyed the free game, the extended access period likely provided ample opportunity to complete the relatively short campaign.  Now, players wishing to relive the remastered adventures of Alan Wake must purchase the game for $29.99.

The remastered version offers several enhancements over the original, including 4K resolution graphics and the inclusion of both original expansions.  For those still hesitant to purchase, there's always the possibility of a future Xbox Game Pass addition or a significant price reduction during one of Microsoft's frequent sales events.

Despite the significant gap between the first and second entries, the Alan Wake franchise is thriving in 2025.  Alan Wake 2 has achieved profitability, and developer Remedy Entertainment is committed to expanding the universe through various projects.