Game Devs Let Speedrunners Use Glitch in Alan Wake 2 Expansion

Imagine running a video game so fast that you discover a shortcut the developers never knew existed. This is exactly what happened with Alan Wake 2's expansion, The Lake House. During an event called Awesome Games Done Quick in January 2025, a speedrunner named suavepeanut showed the world how to skip elevator rides by interacting with them from the outside. Instead of fixing this glitch, the game's developer, Remedy Entertainment, decided to leave it in as a nod to the speedrunners.

The Lake House requires players to use elevators to move between floors. Normally, this means waiting for cutscenes to finish. However, with suavepeanut's discovery, players can choose their destination instantly by pressing four buttons at the same time. This trick saves about 20-30 seconds each time, and it can be used up to seven times in one playthrough. For a game that takes less than 20 minutes to complete, these skips can make a big difference. It's not every day that a big game studio keeps a glitch in their game just to please speedrunners. Many developers, like those behind Hollow Knight, have actually patched out bugs that speedrunners use. This unique decision by Remedy Entertainment shows a fun side of game development, where even small glitches can become beloved features.

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