Iconic video game franchises don't always lead to enduring success, whether its players experiencing "franchise fatigue," or change comes at the decision of the developer itself. Call of Duty developers like Infinity Ward and Treyarch have spent almost two decades exclusively working on the evergreen first-person shooter, from as early as 2003. However, developers like Bungie or Naughty Dog have moved on from indelible video game franchises like Halo and Jak and Daxter to work on newer properties as well, achieving similar success. For Life is Strange's developers, Dontnod Entertainment CEO recently expressed that the studio is moving on to new beginnings.
Moving away from the Life is Strange franchise, at least for now, Dontnod Entertainment intends to explore other facets of supernatural storytelling. Twin Mirror and Tell Me Why are the most recent examples of Dontnod's narrative adventure games beyond Life is Strange. Obviously Square Enix's Life is Strange franchise is in good hands with Deck Nine Games; the studio that proved it's capable of handling the franchise's storytelling adventures with Before the Storm, and soon Life is Strange: Remastered Collection. Even if future work isn't anchored to the successful paranormal franchise, Dontnod's brand of narrative storytelling doesn't necessarily need Life is Strange.
Dontnod Releases/IPs Post-Life is Strange
Dontnod's two Life is Strange games proved to be very excellent, even if the second game was hampered by a late release schedule moreso than the quality of the game itself. Obviously Life is Strange was an iconic narrative adventure game because of its unprecedented ability to tackle subjects not often depicted in games, despite the game's criticisms of awkward writing. Life is Strange 2 carried that torch in the depiction of a Latinx family struggling with bigotry and prejudice in America, even though the game's release delays meant not many stuck with it. Recently, Dontnod Entertainment has pushed away into projects separate from Square Enix's adventure series.
The studio has since experimented with two very different approaches to narrative adventures still rife with supernatural tendencies, albeit in more subtle ways. Tell Me Why was very much Dontnod's wheelhouse, tackling the LGBT story of Tyler Ronan alongside his cisgender twin Alyson, all the while introducing telepathy as a supernatural gameplay component. Twin Mirror was a little different, following investigative journalist Sam Higgs as he attempts to deduce how his friend is murdered, all the while struggling with multiple personality disorder. That's without even counting 2018's Vampyr, which was vastly different from the aforementioned games.
Expanding Beyond Life is Strange is Good for Dontnod
In an interview with IGN, Dontnod Entertainment CEO Oskar Guilbert mentioned that Dontnod studio's current development plans involve working on its own IPs, rather than returning to Life is Strange in the future. Guilbert didn't rule out the possibility of returning to Life is Strange, which Square Enix owns the rights to, but instead Dontnod will be pursuing its own games in the meantime. Perhaps Dontnod's work on Life is Strange 2 informed this decision, or the studio's latest original efforts pushed the studio in the indie direction, but Guilbert stated that Dontnod Entertainment wishes to remain independent for the forseeable future to maintain the studio's identity.
Rather than continue pushing the limits of the Life is Strange series and in-game universe, it's clear Dontnod wishes to keep its horizon's broader. Games like Tell Me Why and Twin Mirror are arguably reminiscent of Life is Strange, but these games are more meant to be representative of the "Dontnod brand" that Guilbert wishes to focus on. Deck Nine Games has shown a clear interest in broadening the universe of the Life is Strange games, especially with Life is Strange: True Colors coming later this year. Dontnod Entertainment intends to explore the narrative adventure genre of games through a wider lens, regardless of supernatural influence or lack thereof.
Even outside of just narrative games, Dontnod may explore more IPs or games in a similar realm to Vampyr, which had a distinct focus on combat and more open-ended gameplay. Either way, in the wake of the studio's more recent releases, it's clear Dontnod doesn't necessarily need the foundation of the Life is Strange franchise to maintain its goal. Guilbert goes on to discuss a desire to manage the studio's growth and development cycles steadily, but this desire for independence is only going to help the studio's games grow as well. Greater variety in the studio's future games, especially working on brand new IPs, will only make for better games in the future.
Source: IGN