The first episode of Life is Strange 2 came out around the end of September, which means, based on the release tempo of the original five-part adventure, that we could reasonably expect part two to show up any day now. What has arrived instead is a message from developer Dontnod Entertainment pegging it to a January 2019 release, an extended stretch of development the studio said will enable it to "meet the benchmark of quality and emotional impact that you, our players, deserve."
"We understand that there are certain expectations that episodes will be released at a similar cadence as previous Life is Strange games have. The ambition of Life is Strange 2, however, means that the previous frameworks no longer apply if we are to meet the quality of play and storytelling that our vision for a game like this demands and that you deserve," Dontnod said.
"With this in mind, we can now officially say that Episode 2 will be released in January 2019, but more will be unveiled in mid December, this year. We can't wait to reveal more about ‘Episode 2: Rules’ to you soon! We're truly very excited to show you what we've been working on and what's in store for Sean and Daniel."
Life is Strange 2 follows the adventures of brothers Sean and Daniel Diaz, who are forced to flee their home—and deal with the sudden manifestation of a supernatural power—following a "tragic incident." Pip said in September that the first episode is "confident" and delivers "a strongly sympathetic portrayal of the boys at the centre of the drama"—but she really didn't like that sketching minigame.