Remedy and Rockstar Games have announced they will be remaking Max Payne and Max Payne 2: The Fall of Max Payne.
In a surprise announcement Remedy will work with Rockstar under a new publishing agreement to remake the first two Max Payne games for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S. Remedy will handle development while Rockstar will finance the project “which will be in line with a typical Remedy AAA-game production.”
The Max Payne remakes will also be developed on Remedy’s Northlight game engine, the same engine used to develop Control and the upcoming Alan Wake 2.
The original Max Payne games were also a result of a partnership between Remedy and Rockstar, with Remedy handling development and Rockstar Games publishing. Rockstar also handled the development of Max Payne 3.
“We were thrilled when our long-time friends at Remedy approached us about remaking the original Max Payne games,” said Rockstar founder Sam Houser. “We are massive fans of the work the Remedy team has created over the years and we can’t wait to play these new versions.”
Remedy CEO Tero Virtala added, “Max Payne has always held a special place in the hearts of everyone at Remedy, and we know the millions of fans worldwide feel the same.”
Virtala added that the team is excited to “bring the story, action and atmosphere of the original Max Payne games back to players in new ways.”
The project is sounding like a full remake given that it will be developed on Remedy’s newest engine, and it will have a matching AAA budget. It’s tantalizing to imagine the original Max Payne games built using the same engine as Control and Alan Wake 2.
Remedy has had a succesful run as of late with Game of the Year 2019 winner Control and a new partnership with Epic Games for Alan Wake 2. Now, Remedy will return to another beloved franchise with the Max Payne remakes.
Matt T.M. Kim is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach him @lawoftd.