In Life is Strange 2, the player plays as Sean Diaz. Although Sean has an explicit crush on Jenn Murphy in Episode 1, the player is able to define his sexuality through specific choices throughout the game. Specifically in Episode 3, there is a conversation around sexuality among the workers at the Pot Farm that starts with this dialogue:

• Sean: What? What’s so funny?
• Hannah: You… That look on your face! Hilarious.
• Finn: Yeah, uh, Hans and I aren’t together, sweetheart. We’re just fuck-buddies.
• Sean: Ohhhh… ohh…
• Finn: We’re pretty open here–
• Sean: Right. Duh.
• Finn: –fuck who you wanna fuck, the end.
• Cassidy: Or don’t. Nobody has to do anything if they’re not into it.
• Finn: Yeah, we’re not into the whole fucked up system… We make our own rules.
• Hannah: You feel us, Sean? Or do we sound like depraved punks to you?

This conversation is only accessible if Sean chooses to stay and get a haircut, but continues on to give the player the following options when asked how Sean identifies:

• More into girls.
• Some boys are cute.
• Not into dating.
• Had many girlfriends.

The dialogue around all of these choices can be found in the Episode 3 script or in this video. Fans have praised the game for allowing players to play Sean as straight, bisexual, or asexual, but have also critiqued the queer content, noting that Sean’s romance with Cassidy has more content, as well as the option to have sex with her. In a video from Stop Me Oh on YouTube, she reads a statement from DONTNOD and Square Enix that reads as follows:

There are two different romantic paths for Sean in episode 3. However, you may have noticed that these paths don’t each play out in the same way. Sean can potentially have sex with Cassidy, but he may only share a kiss with Finn. This is primarily because Sean has always thought of himself as straight and hasn’t had the opportunity to question his sexuality before. When we meet him at the start of Life is Strange 2, he is taking relationship advice from Lyla, is interested in Jenn and is trying to figure how he is going to “score” at the party. But on the other road, Sean is still learning about who is he. The environment about the drifter community leads to an openness and blurring of lines regarding labelling and sexuality which allows Sean the freedom to question these for the first time. Depending on the players choices, Finn represents Sean’s first step in exploring his sexuality and with this in mind his interactions with Finn are understandable more cautious.

In the comments of a Reddit thread that cites this statement, Reddit users compare Sean and Finn’s relationship to Max and Warren’s in the first Life is Strange game, calling it a secondary relationship to the game’s main relationship. Users also critiqued the game not allowing the Finn kiss to happen unless Sean agrees to partake in a heist/crime, which can also be read about here.

LGBTQ References in this game series:

Life is Strange (2015): Chloe Price, Max Caulfield, Rachel Amber

Life is Strange 2 (2018-2019): Arthur and Stanley Petersen, Finn McNamara, Jacob Hackerman, Sean Diaz

Citations:

1. Darth Mawrak. (2019). Re: Life Is Strange 2 Complete Finn Romance (Complete Season) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfaVOLKttbc
2. IgelRM. (2019, August 12). r/LifeisStrange2 – [S2 E3] Square Enix statement regarding Sean’s romantic paths. Retrieved May 14, 2020, from https://www.reddit.com/r/LifeisStrange2/comments/cpjpc1/s2_e3_square_enix_statement_regarding_seans/
3. Naughty Gaming. (2019, May 9). Life is Strange 2 Kissing Finn & All Sexuality Choices (Episode 3). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNCAejX3e3A
4. Sempre que ler os comentários eu estarei lá. (2019. Re: Life is Strange 2: Episode 3 Wastelands Sean and Cassidy Have Sex [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7acNuAnLg8
5. Stop Me Oh. (2019, May 9). Life is Strange 2 Episode 3: Honest Impressions & Review. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1f1TVIisq1c&t=722
6. Various. (n.d.). Episode 3: Wastelands – Script. Retrieved May 14, 2020, from https://life-is-strange.fandom.com/wiki/Episode_3:_Wastelands_-_Script
7. Worby, M. (2019, August 27). ‘Life is Strange 2’ Episode 3 Review – “Wastelands” is a Serious Game Changer. Retrieved from https://goombastomp.com/life-is-strange-2-episode-3-review/
8. Wright, S. (2019, May 12). Life is Strange 2 has a disappointing same-sex relationship. Retrieved from https://stevivor.com/features/opinion/life-strange-2-disappointing-sex-relationship/