Life is Strange: Reunion has finally been revealed, and on the surface, it looks like a dream scenario for long-time fans. Deck Nine and Square Enix are continuing directly from 2024’s Life is Strange: Double Exposure, reuniting Max Caulfield and Chloe Price for the first time in nearly a decade.

That alone should have been enough to dominate the conversation. Instead, one decision has completely taken over the spotlight.

Ashly Burch is not returning as Chloe Price.

Life is Strange: Reunion – Announce Trailer

For many fans, that single detail has taken the shine off what was meant to be a major franchise moment. Burch’s performance in the original Life is Strange is often credited as the emotional backbone of Chloe’s character. Her absence has reopened an old wound that never quite healed after Before the Storm.

Back in 2017, Burch couldn’t reprise the role due to a voice actors’ strike, leading Rhianna DeVries to step in. While DeVries was widely praised for her work, most fans saw it as a temporary solution. Reunion was expected to reset that situation. It hasn’t.

Social media reaction has been blunt. Some fans argue it cannot be a “real reunion” without Chloe’s original voice. Others are questioning why DeVries was brought back when no SAG-AFTRA strike is currently in place. With Hannah Telle returning as Max, the contrast only makes the decision stand out more.

There’s also lingering frustration tied to Double Exposure, which already divided the fanbase. For some, Reunion now feels less like a celebration and more like damage control that hasn’t gone far enough.

Still, controversy doesn’t mean disinterest. Max and Chloe’s story has been unfinished for almost ten years, and that pull is strong. Even disappointed fans admit they’ll likely play it, if only to see how it ends.

Life is Strange: Reunion launches this March. Whether it heals old scars or creates new ones remains to be seen.

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