Square Enix has officially confirmed Life Is Strange: Reunion, a new full-length entry that reunites Max Caulfield and Chloe Price.
This sequel addresses long-standing questions about Chloe’s fate and sets out to deliver a proper ending to the Pricefield arc.
The Leak Was Real: Max and Chloe are Back
After the PEGI rating leak caused a stir, Square Enix confirmed the rumors during an official livestream. Life Is Strange: Reunion is a full sequel from Deck Nine Games, positioned as the closing chapter in Max and Chloe’s story.
The story returns to Caledon University, where Max now teaches photography (not a surprise to fans of the previous game).
After a weekend trip, she returns to find the campus engulfed in flames. Students and colleagues are in danger, so Max reactivates her Rewind powers to jump back three days using a selfie, hoping to stop the fire before it starts. Her powers have evolved. Now, after jumping through a photo, she can remain in the past and act from that point forward.
Chloe’s return is explained through the timeline merging seen in Double Exposure. Regardless of player choices in earlier games, the merge created broader consequences. Chloe arrives at Max’s door plagued by fragmented memories and a life she never lived. Her perception of reality is breaking down. The game uses this narrative to justify Chloe’s presence while keeping prior endings intact.
Two Playable Leads With Different Strengths
Gameplay shifts to a dual-protagonist structure. You alternate between Max and Chloe. Max still manipulates time. Chloe brings back her Backtalk ability from Before the Storm. It lets her pressure people during dialogue and access paths that Max cannot.
According to senior brand manager Andrew James, Chloe “can go where Max can’t, ask what she wouldn’t, and say the things that would never cross Max’s mind.”
Why the Series Is Coming Full Circle
Max and Chloe are central to Life is Strange. While later entries like Life is Strange 2 and Life is Strange: True Colors found success, none matched the cultural weight of the original duo. The franchise has expanded through comics and novels, but Reunion is positioned as the narrative conclusion.
Double Exposure reportedly suffered a large commercial loss. Square Enix seems to be leaning on Max and Chloe to reengage the core audience. If Reunion is successful, it could stabilize the series. If not, this might be the final entry. The return to familiar characters and storylines is both a creative decision and a business move.
Life Is Strange Reunion: Release Date and Editions
Life Is Strange: Reunion launches on March 26, 2026. Platforms include PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC through Steam and Windows.
Four versions are available:
Standard Edition
- includes the base game
Deluxe Edition
- includes the game, a digital mini-soundtrack, digital art book, a comic, and a behind-the-scenes documentary with actors Hannah Telle and Rhianna DeVries
Twin Pack
- includes Reunion and Double Exposure, with instant access to Double Exposure upon preorder
Collector’s Edition is exclusive to the Square Enix Store and includes:
- A vinyl soundtrack
- A custom box with art by Ilya Kuvshinov
- A double-sided poster and a Rewind symbol slipmat
- Three guitar plectrums and three Polaroid art cards
Preorders made before May 5, 2026, receive a Max and Chloe Classic Outfits downloadable pack.
A Turning Point for Life Is Strange
This is the first mainline game in the series to use both Max and Chloe as playable characters. The timeline merging lets the developers avoid invalidating player choices from earlier games. The updated mechanics give both characters distinct roles in progressing the story.
Some players are looking forward to this return. Others are more careful after Double Exposure failed to connect. That hesitation is understandable. But Deck Nine is not simply repeating old ideas. The dual structure, expanded mechanics, and narrative hooks show a clear shift.
Whether Reunion delivers on its setup depends on how well it handles that emotional load. Can Max repair the damage she’s caused through time? Will Chloe find clarity in a life that shouldn’t exist? These are the threads that could bring real closure to a story that’s been unfolding for over a decade.
If Deck Nine can carry that weight and keep the focus sharp, Reunion could stand as both a meaningful send-off and a reminder of what made Life Is Strange so unique in the first place.