Will There Be a Stray 2?

As an ardent fan of the breakout hit Stray, the question on all our minds is — will BlueTwelve Studio grace us with a sequel? While the developer stays tight-lipped, there are promising signs pointing to a potential Stray 2 down the road.

Stray‘s Runaway Success Bodes Well

Within just one week of its July 2022 launch, Stray racked up over 2.4 million sales on PlayStation and Steam. By October, total sales across all platforms exceeded 3.3 million copies.

For a debut title from the indie studio, these are incredible figures rivaling AAA franchises. Stray also dominated social media for weeks as gamers shared delightful cat GIFs and memes.

Clearly the unique concept resonated strongly with audiences. Portraying an adorable lost cat searching for family while unraveling cybercity mysteries proved to be catnip for gamers.

Strong sales and publicity like this catch the attention of publishers and investors who want to double down on a successful formula. For example, breakout indie hits like Little Nightmares and Carrion went on to receive well-received sequels.

Critical Acclaim Furthers Prospects

Beyond impressive sales, Stray has earned widespread critical acclaim:

Gaming outlets praised innovative gameplay through feline movement mechanics, the immersive world-building of the cybercity environments, and the emotional heart at the game‘s core.

This level of reputational success makes the property ripe for extending into a multi-game series. Past indie darlings like Ori, Limbo, and LittleBigPlanet spawned sequels or spin-offs after similarly rapturous receptions.

The Story Leaves Plenty of Threads

While Stray delivers a poignant self-contained story, several narrative elements could provide fruitful sequel potential:

• Our hero remains separated from his family by the game‘s end
• Backstory around the human scientist who became B-12 remains largely mysterious
• The origins of the city, deadly plague, Zurks, and Sentinels offer room for more lore
• B-12 exhibits sentience — is he the key to humanity‘s future legacy?

Series centered around feline or animal protagonists often explore expanding universes. From Warriors to Wings of Fire, readers become invested in clan adventures across new terrain.

The vibrant cyberpunk backdrop of Stray feels tailor-made for letting creativity run wild across different cities, districts, factions. Where could a subway, pipe system, or teleporter take our cat next? The possibilities seem endless.

Signs Point to a Sequel Down the Road

While BlueTwelve plays coy about a follow-up, several tea leaves suggest the prospect simmers on a back burner:

• In August 2022, narrative designer Davey Wreden tweeted "Can‘t wait to show you what‘s next!" — a telling phrasing that hints at future reveals
• Stray publisher Annapurna Interactive has invested in sequels for other successful indies it backed
• The game‘s final scene explicitly sets up the cat and B-12 for more joint adventures

Of course, only time will tell whether fans get to rejoin this duo in a new tale. But the artistic creators seem to have left that door playfully ajar. Now we watch, hope, and paw-tiently await any official sequel announcement!