Next Life Is Strange Game Brings Chloe Back for More Life and Death Choices

The Life is Strange franchise has just announced a brand-new chapter this Tuesday, promising to be a major emotional milestone for fans of the original game (for good or bad). That’s because the upcoming title brings back the series' most iconic duo as protagonists in a story that once again pushes the boundaries of alternate realities!

Titled Life is Strange: Reunion, the game continues Max Caulfield’s journey, which was recently revisited in 2024’s Life is Strange: Double Exposure.

Confirming the long-held suspicions of many fans (including myself), this chapter marks the official return of Chloe Price, but her comeback is shrouded in a world of surprises and complex mysteries.

Partners in Time: The Final Journey of Max and Chloe

Life is Strange: Reunion basically functions as a direct sequel to Double Exposure, following Max’s life in the small town of Caledon alongside familiar friends like Safi, Moses, and Amanda.

However, the massive plot twist (one that fans have theorized about for years, by the way) is that Chloe is back, with Rhianna DeVries (from the Before the Storm DLC) returning to voice the character. Remarkably, she is fully alive and breathing, regardless of the choice you made at the end of the first Life is Strange.

To put this in perspective, in case you don’t fully remember, players originally had to choose between saving Chloe or the entire town of Arcadia Bay, which remains one of the most painful decisions gamers have faced in the past decade. For years, it seemed Max and Chloe’s story had reached its final conclusion back then.

And here we are with Reunion, which has just been announced to prove us all wrong with more time-bending chaos. Oh, and this new entry is being described by Deck Nine studio as the “big finale for the Max and Chloe saga” – I mean, it almost feels like we used a real-life rewind on the franchise, right?

Jokes aside, let’s take a look at the announcement trailer, which is packed with nostalgic moments for long-time fans, before we dive deeper into what the broadcast revealed:

Yes, your eyes didn’t deceive you! The literary game brings Chloe back to investigate mysterious new crimes in Caledon. She seeks out Max after being haunted by terrifying visions involving murder, the residents of Caledon in danger, and the traumatic events of the original game's ending.

Naturally, this immediately raised a massive question: "If I sacrificed Chloe in my playthrough, how on earth is she back?" The developers at Deck Nine were quick to provide a technical answer during today's reveal.

During the broadcast, two clips were shown featuring a conversation between Max and Chloe about her survival. While the specific dialogue changes based on the player's choice in the first game, the explanation remains pretty much the same for both timelines!

Basically, when Max merged two timelines to save Safi in Double Exposure, the ripple effect also merged timelines from her past. This “cosmic accident” (or whatever you would like to call it) joined the reality where Chloe was saved with the one where Arcadia Bay was spared.

And that is why she is officially back! As a bonus, this merger doesn't just reflect Chloe’s return, and Arcadia Bay will also coexist in this reality if you previously chose to sacrifice it (a fact that will heavily impact the story of Reunion, it seems).

Chloe, however, is not unscathed. She somehow remembers both being killed at Blackwell Academy and watching Arcadia Bay be destroyed. But neither Max nor Chloe fully understands why she retains these memories or why she is alive (or why Arcadia Bay is back like nothing happened), making it one of the game's central mysteries.

Last but definitely not least, Max’s classic rewind power is also back! However, it seems to be more potent and functional than ever before (and yes, that iconic spiral icon in the corner is back, too). Players will be able to rewind time at almost any moment and even travel back days into the past through Polaroid photos, expanding the original’s gameplay.

And that’s basically everything the developers have revealed so far! So yes, Max and Chloe will be "partners in time" once again in the next Life is Strange game. And fans won't have to wait long for this final investigation, as the release date has already been revealed: the game launches on March 26th for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.