Summary
A new report has confirmed that the release ofLife is Strange: Double Exposurecaused “large losses” at Square Enix.Life is Strange: Double Exposurelaunched in October 2024, with publisher Square Enix seemingly unable to recoup its investment in the time since.
WhenLife is Strange: Double Exposurefirst released, it faced mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. It currently holds a Top Critic Average of 71 on review score aggregator OpenCritic, with just 54% of critics recommending it. Complaints about the game came primarily from the narrative. Many fans felt it didn’t respect the “bae” ending of the original game, which was surprising given how Max Caulfield’s return was front and center to its marketing. Others felt thatLife is Strange: Double Exposuretook Marvelization too farin its approach to certain plot points. Now, it seems the game’s financials have reflected this sentiment.
As first reported byThe Gamer, Japanese financial analyst Hideki Yasuda forKabutanhas confirmed that Square Enix’s most recent set of financial results indicate thatLife is Strange: Double Exposurecaused “large losses” for the company. However, these losses were offset by thestrong sales ofDragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, which surpassed two million sales globally. Even bringing the popular Max Caulfield back for this sequel wasn’t enough to excite fans for this one.
Life is Strange: Double Exposure Flopped Despite Max Return
The news ofLife is Strange: Double Exposure’s financial failure doesn’t come as massively shocking news. Aside from the game’s mixed reception across the board, theDecember 2024 layoffs at Deck Nineindicated that the release hadn’t exactly been a hot seller. Back in January 2025, Square Enix did follow up with a survey for fans asking for feedback about the game, indicating it was curious about what could be improved in future titles.
Given the financial failure andmixed critical reception toLife is Strange: Double Exposure, it would be surprising to see the franchise again in the near future. It’s a series that still has name value among gamers, so anything is possible in the future, but it’s hard to imagine that Square Enix is desperate to revisit it after its “large losses.”
