Highlights

  • Alan Wake 2 expands on Remedy's Connected Universe with appearances by characters from Control, hinting at a larger interconnected story.
  • The janitor character Ahti, who first appeared in Control, plays a significant role in Alan Wake 2, assisting the protagonists on their journey.
  • Ahti's appearances across different realities and dimensions suggest that he will continue to be a central figure in the Remedy Connected Universe, linking future projects together.

In 2019's Control, players could find a handful of in-game documents connecting it to the events of the first Alan Wake, and while that was initially viewed as just a fun little crossover, this was the very first instance of Remedy's Connected Universe. Almost a whole year later, Remedy officially confirmed the existence of its shared universe, and Control's AWE DLC marked the first canon crossover event, directly linking Control to Alan Wake in more ways than one. It was clear from the get-go that there was a lot of potential behind this shared universe concept, and Alan Wake 2 goes a long way in fully realizing it.

While it's dedicated to telling its own incredibly rich and complex story, Alan Wake 2 doesn't shy away from continuing to expand the Remedy Connected Universe. During the course of Alan Wake 2's story, players will repeatedly run into the Federal Bureau of Control, and Control's own Jesse Faden even appears for a split-second when players wind up in the Oceanview Hotel. It's clear that Remedy is building towards something big with its shared universe, and there's one Alan Wake 2 character that might end up being the connective tissue between it all, and that's the janitor Ahti.

RELATED: How Alan Wake 2 Connects To Quantum Break

Ahti Could Be the Glue That Holds the Remedy Connected Universe Together

Ahti's First Appearance Was in Control

Ahti made his very first appearance in 2019's Control, where he appears consistently throughout the game to assist player-character Jesse Faden in fighting off the Hiss Invasion. Through in-game collectibles, players learn that Ahti is some kind of paranatural entity that simply appeared one day in the FBC's HQ, the Oldest House, and can move freely inside its walls, as if teleporting. Ahti's purpose and origin aren't known, but he's believed to be some kind of ally to the Federal Bureau of Control, with his janitorial tasks helping the FBC in a number of ways. If players complete all of Ahti's janitorial tasks in Control, they're given a postcard that depicts the janitor in Watery, a location then used in Alan Wake 2.

Ahti Appears Again Throughout Alan Wake 2

Ahti shows up multiple times throughout the course of Alan Wake 2's story as well. Players will first meet Ahti while playing as Alan in the Dark Place, where he's seen mopping the floors behind the set in Mr. Door's talk show studio. Ahti guides Alan to the Angel Lamp here, and then later on in the game he tells Alan to find his wife's photographs in the studio's basement, both times seemingly helping Alan to climb out of the Dark Place spiral he finds himself in.

Ahti can also be found several times in Saga Anderson's side of Alan Wake 2's story. Ahti can first be seen singing karaoke in Watery, and then later on in the game via the Valhalla Nursing Home. In the nursing home, Ahti guides Saga along her journey, explaining that she needs to turn on the power in the basement to progress. At the end of Alan Wake 2, Ahti is also the one who unlocks the door to Alan Wake's writer's room in the Valhalla Nursing Home.

Ahti's Potential Role in the Future of the Remedy Connected Universe

Based on his appearances so far, it seems as though Ahti is some kind of guardian angel in Remedy's Connected Universe, repeatedly helping its heroes to complete their journey, whether it's by giving them Objects of Power, or by directly telling them how to progress. Being a paranatural entity seemingly capable of appearing across different realities and dimensions, it seems like Ahti will be a permanent fixture of the Remedy Connected Universe moving forward, likely acting as the universe's main connective tissue and bringing every project together in a clear way.