Following the release and rapid success of the first "Life is Strange", publisher Square Enix chose American developer Deck Nine to develop a prequel game focusing on the life of Chloe Price, while the Dontnod team began developing a direct sequel. Development on the project began in 2016 with assistance from Square Enix' London Studios. Ashly Burch, who voiced Chloe in "Life Is Strange", was replaced by Rhianna DeVries due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. However, Burch and Hannah Telle, who voiced Max Caulfield, both reprised their roles for the bonus episode "Farewell". The project went under various working titles during development. The writers researched memoirs and psychology to understand Chloe's grieving process, and the script for the game was over 1,500 pages, written by lead writer Zak Garriss and a writers' room. Prior to its official announcement, images had leaked online indicating that a prequel to "Life Is Strange" was in development. Square Enix revealed "" on 11 June during Microsoft's E3 2017 presentation.