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Agence France-Presse

Video game Life is Strange is returning for its latest episode in a saga that broke the mould by having LGBTQ central characters.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure will hit the shelves on October 29 just a week before a US election that has underlined a deep polarisation over cultural issues.
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has emerged as a key backer of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, has specifically criticised video game makers for including diverse characters.
In response to the inclusion of a black samurai in the coming game Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Musk wrote in 2023 that “DEI kills art”, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion.

But the makers of Life is Strange: Double Exposure embrace their role in celebrating diversity.
“It’s Life is Strange so of course you’re going to have queer people, you’re going to discuss controversial topics and social issues and things like that,” says Jonathan Stauder, director of developer Deck Nine Games. “It’s like it’s built into the brand.”
“We don’t want to pave the way where if something is woke or political, it doesn’t matter whatsoever,” says Felice Kuan, who is in charge of the game’s narrative. “We want to be political. It is political, this franchise is.”












View this post on Instagram























A post shared by Life is Strange (@lifeisstrangegame)



As is customary for popular games – Life is Strange counts some 20 million players since its initial release – the developers have already received online backlash.
Life is Strange ended with Max choosing to either save her friend/possible girlfriend Chloe or the town of Arcadia Bay, gaming review site Kotaku notes.
Some fans were upset with the choice to bring back Max, the time-travelling heroine from the original edition, and continue her story as a direct sequel 10 years later.
In Life is Strange: Double Exposure, she is on the trail of a murderer in different timelines.
“We definitely wanted an older cast with maybe deeper, darker problems,” Kuan says.

Michel, we all know harassing people is wrong, but if D9 and SE deliberately lied to us about respecting both endings, how are we supposed to feel? What are we meant to do? Are our feelings of betrayal and hurt not valid?
— Goodbye Pricefield 😭 (@ByePricefield) October 19, 2024

French firm Don’t Nod initially developed the game before it was taken up by US studio Deck Nine.
Don’t Nod’s Michel Koch, who was co-creator of the original game but was not involved in the latest one, urged fans to stop sending hateful messages to the developers.
“You can be disappointed, you can want other narratives for those characters you love, or different stories,” Koch wrote on X.
“But nothing justifies hating people for how they wrote their game.”


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Life is Strange: Double Exposure video game makers attacked online over plot decision

Max Caulfield in a still from Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Photo: Instagram/@lifeisstrange

(From left) The characters Safi, Max Caulfield and Moses in a still from Life is Strange: Double Exposure, which has a release date of October 29. Photo: Instagram/lifeisstrangegame

A still from Life is Strange: Double Exposure. Photo: Instagram/lifeisstrange

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A promotional image for Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2. Image: Saber Interactive

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The latest game in the pro-LGBTQ series Life is Strange has seen developers Deck Nine receive backlash over the choice to bring back Max


The latest game in the pro-LGBTQ series Life is Strange has seen developers Deck Nine receive backlash over the choice to bring back Max.


Social media

LGBTQ

Life is Strange: Double Exposure video game makers attacked online over plot decision

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The latest game in the pro-LGBTQ series Life is Strange has seen developers Deck Nine receive backlash over the choice to bring back Max

The latest game in the pro-LGBTQ series Life is Strange has seen developers Deck Nine receive backlash over the choice to bring back Max