How to fix the Espresso Express bug in Alan Wake 2

It wouldn't be a video game without a few bugs.

Alan Wake 2: Saga and Alex looking at Alan inside lodge
Screenshot by Dot Esports

In a world all about caffeinated fairground rides, the Espresso Express bug in Alan Wake 2 can turn you off your morning drink.

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Any bugs experienced in this linear story with only one path available to progress in Alan Wake 2 is a real game-killer. What are you meant to do if something outside of your control stops you from moving forward? This is how to fix the Espresso Express bug in Coffee World.

What is the Espresso Express bug in Alan Wake 2?

AW2: Alan Wake putting his head in his hands
Me after finding the bug. Screenshot by Dot Esports

The Espresso Express bug takes place in Coffee World at the fairground, where Saga cannot progress through the objectives due to the ride cars clipping into the floor. While the cars can be aligned to create a gap for Saga, she cannot drop down due to the bug stopping her from moving past the cars.

While players have united on Reddit to express their gratitude to the Alan Wake gods for saving Saga and the Espresso Express fairground ride, there is a chance that this dreaded bug will make a return. If you are still experiencing this bug and haven’t found a way around it, we hope the solution below will fix this issue for you.

Alan Wake 2: Espresso Express bug solution

AW2: Saga after Nightingale awakes in morgue
Me after learning the wheelbarrow trick. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Firstly, make sure that you have all relevant clues added to the case board inside Saga’s Mind Palace. This is needed to gain access and complete the relevant objectives for the Espresso Express: find the fuse and start the ride.

While you might pick up the relevant fuse needed for the Espresso Express ride, its usage is not needed until you complete the Parade Float objectives in Coffee World, Watery.

For a lot of players, the fuse objective is handed to them upon entering Coffee World. This alters the progression of the store and the order in which Saga is supposed to complete her objectives.

The wheelbarrow trick

In the case of fixing this bug, because the Espresso Express ride cars are clipping into the wooden floor below, you can use either the wheelbarrow by the ride’s stairwell or align the cars so that there is a gap for you to jump down and into the crawlspace below the ride.

The wheelbarrow needs to be placed against one of the cars for you to climb on top of and onto the car itself. Stand over the edge of the car, overlooking the gap that you’re supposed to drop down in. Slowly walk over the edge until you are floating between the car and the middle of the Espresso Express ride.

Wait until the game forces Saga down rather than you actively moving her to drop into the hole. You will end up where you need to be and can turn to face the crawlspace to continue the story.

Manual save, restart the game and reset assets

Other methods to fix this bug are to manually save at a nearby Break Room and quit the game. Launch Alan Wake 2 again and load your manual save. Check the cars to see if the clipping has stopped. Before you save, you can align the cars for the visible gap for you to jump down, manually save, exit, and launch once again for the bugged-out car to fix itself.

The final method to fix this bug is to leave the area to reset all item spawns and assets. To take this a step further, try manually saving outside of the area after using the fuse and aligning the cars. Revisit Coffee World and the Espresso Express ride to see if the bug is fixed.

Author
Image of Hadley Vincent
Hadley Vincent
Writer for Dot since Oct. 2023. Just a Psychology graduate trying to find the meaning of life through gaming. An enthusiast of indie horror and anime, where you'll often find them obsessing over a great narrative and even better twists that'd make M. Night jealous. Their shocking twist? They think The Last of Us II is a masterpiece.