Hello! In case you've missed it, on Sep 9-10, 2024, Alan Wake got updated due to a licensing issue with the song Space Oddity by David Bowie. As a result, the song got removed and got replaced by a new, original song: Strange Moons, by Petri Alanko. Though the song is good, for anyone that wants to preserve their copies of Alan Wake as originally envisioned, here's this guide.

Before we begin, I'd like to thank VvVitekVvV and their guide to restore Space Oddity. Without them, I wouldn't be able to do this guide nor the downgrader I'll be bringing you today. If you'll like to thank them, you can do so on their original guide: https://sp.zhabite.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3329955668
This guide will work for both Windows as well as Linux/Steam Deck users, provided the latter ones are able to use the file explorer and bash terminal to execute the downgrader's script.

Please note that this downgrader is offered as is, with no explicit or implicit guarantee of any kind, and that you're using it by your own accords.
Steam DepotDownloader is distributed under GPLv2. For more information, please check its GitHub[github.com] page or the LICENSE file on the downgrader.

You will need the following:

1. Your installation of Alan Wake from Steam (I CANNOT guarantee that it'll work with other PCs' clients version of the game)
   
2. That you select a language inside Steam's Alan Wake settings (in case you want to play in anything other than English)
   
3. The downgrader itself. You can get it by clicking on the Dropbox[www.dropbox.com] or the Google Drive[drive.google.com]link that you can find by clicking on the respective names.

1. Download the patcher.
   
2. Extract all contents of the ZIP file into your Alan Wake installation folder (where AlanWake.exe is located)
   
3. If you're on Windows, double-click the file named windows_downgrader_v2.bat; if you're on Linux/Steam Deck, open a terminal on the installation folder and execute the linux_downgrader_v2.sh bash script (usually it's as simple as writing bash linux_downgrader_v2.sh)
   
4. Read the small dialog box and follow the instructions (you WILL NEED to log into your Steam account that has the game).
   
5. Wait for a bit so you can download and replace the files and you're done! You can delete the files that came from the ZIP file.

If you ever decide and/or need to change Alan Wake's language to something other than the one you chose before downgrading, YOU MUST NOT USE STEAM'S GAME SETTINGS!!! If you do, there's a high chance the files for Alan Wake will update and, not only you might need to re-download half a game, but you'll also undo the downgrade.
Instead, in the launch options for the game use the command '-locale=XX', XX being the language code that you desire from the localization folder (inside the Alan Wake installation folder) and copy the files of that language into the data folder.

Lastly, after the downgrade is done, you'll find a new folder called 'old'; that folder holds the backup of the Alan Wake files that were modified. If you ever want to restore them (and not re-download the game), you can overwrite the files from those folders without issues.

I hope this guide and downgrader is helpful to you! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them here on this guide so I can look at them.
I would also like to thank Remedy for creating the game, VvVitekVvV for the original restoration guide, SteamRE on GitHub for making Steam DepotDownloader and you for taking part of your day to look at this guide.

Thanks, and have fun.

-Version 2 of the (now downgrader) was created. A complete re-write specifically designed with the goal of not distributing any sort of binaries/files that might be under any sort of copyright.