Key Takeaways
- Some Life is Strange fans are unhappy over how Double Exposure handled Max and Chloe’s relationship.
- These fans now claim that their discussions on the topics are being hit with copyright strikes.
- Square Enix says it has only taken down posts that include leaked material, or breaches of a non-disclosure agreement.
Spoilers for Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Life is Strange: Double Exposure, the latest game in the series, is proving to be quite divisive. While it reviewed fairly well, some in the fanbase immediately took issue with how it handled Max and Chloe’s relationship, as it revealed what happened to the pair after the events of the first Life is Strange game.
To catch everyone up, Double Exposure reveals that Chloe broke up with Max sometime after the first game. Some fans were incredibly unhappy about this, and the backlash reached such a point that the director of the first game (who hasn’t worked on the series since Life is Strange 2) called out the “hateful” messages being sent to developer Deck Nine.
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Since then, things appear to have only gotten worse. As reported by Metro, members of r/Pricefield, a subreddit dedicated to Max and Chloe’s relationship, started to complain that their posts and comments were being removed over apparent copyright violations. It was even claimed that members were receiving DMCA strikes after sharing comments made by current and former Deck Nine employees, which were already publicly available.
Square Enix Is Sending DMCA Strikes To Life Is Strange Subreddit Users
In a response to Metro, Square Enix seemingly confirms that it sent DMCA notes to members of the community.
“In relation to DMCA notices, all steps taken were in accordance with appropriate legal requirements and Reddit’s own procedures for reporting intellectual property violations,” a representative said. “These processes apply to infringing content shared prior to a game’s release, including leaks or confidential information due to breach of non-disclosure agreements and datamined content. No DMCA notices were sent regarding any posts outside of these circumstances.”
Eurogamer reports that the removed developer comments came from “several anonymous commenters” who claimed to have worked on Life is Strange: Double Exposure. If this is the case, what they said may have been the NDA breach that Square Enix referred to.
Things have only escalated from there. Now, some fans are calling for direct action, with Reddit user Agent_PriceField making plans to review bomb all Square Enix games and boycott anything Life is Strange related. Others in the replies indicate that they will follow these plans.
It remains to be seen if anything comes of this. In the meantime, Life is Strange: Double Exposure’s Steam reviews are still mixed, the lowest in the series’ history.
Max Caulfield, photographer-in-residence at the prestigious Caledon University, discovers her closest new friend, Safi, dead in the snow.
Murdered.
To save her, Max tries to Rewind time – a power she’s not used in years… instead, Max opens the way to a parallel timeline where Safi is still alive, and still in danger!
Max realizes the killer will soon strike again – in both versions of reality.
With her new power to Shift between two timelines – can Max solve and prevent the same murder?
ORDINARY GIRL, EXTRAORDINARY POWER
Max is thrust into a thrilling supernatural murder mystery – more dangerous than ever before!
TRAVERSE TWO TIMELINES
Forge allies and pursue suspects across two versions of reality, shaping both timelines through unforgettable choices.
RACE AGAINST TIME
A relentless detective has Max in his sights, and Safi’s killer grows closer with every clue uncovered. Can Max survive long enough – to do the impossible?
DECIDE THE FATE OF CALEDON
Explore two versions of a vivid winter campus, each packed with clues, secrets, and tough decisions.