Atlus’ Persona franchise is gearing up for its latest edition to the hugely popular series, with rumors of a Persona 6 picking up pace.
Its most recent main release was Persona 3 Reload, although we did get Persona 5: The Phantom X after that, but it was designed only for Android, iOS and Windows platforms.
With Persona 3 Reload being released in February 2024, eyes are now firmly on Atlus’ next release thanks to several hints from the Sega-owned gaming giant that more additions to the series are in the works.
Series producer Kazuhisa Wada said in a 2018 interview admitted that “we are working on mid-to-long term plans, including new entries, so that fans can constantly enjoy the Persona series starting next year.”
Ever since Persona 5 was released in 2016, the franchise has reached new heights of popularity beyond its original loyal fanbase. That’s adding fuel to the rumors throughout the Persona community who are eagerly waiting for the next installment.
And they might not have to wait too long if rumors are to be believed. Here’s everything you need to know about Personal 6 so far.
What is Persona 6?
Persona 6 is set to be the 25th installment of the JRPG Persona series across multiple platforms and the sixth of its main releases The first, Revelations: Persona, was released way back in 1996 on Playstation and, since then, fans have been treated to an ever-evolving series that has become one of the most popular in the gaming world.
Every Persona game loosely revolves around a high school protagonist, fellow students and their ability to call upon a ‘persona’, a spirit-like entity that reflects the characters’ personality in some way. Ever since Persona 3 in 2006, the main series has become known for its focus on social simulation elements in addition to Social Links, which are directly linked to the evolution of Personas within the game.
The overall theme of the series is the exploration of the human psyche and how all of the characters are on a journey to find their true selves.
Persona 6: What we know so far
Storyline and Characters
The big rumor doing the rounds at the moment is that there will be two main characters, one of which is heavily tipped to be female.
The leaker behind that claim made on ResetEra forums, Head on the Block, said one of the characters will have a name starting with K, the other starting with S. They hinted that players will be able to control the female character.
However, the same leaker also went on to suggest the main Persona 6 character “is not a woman” which has understandably caused a lot of confusion surrounding the actual truth.
As things stand, that’s the only key rumor surrounding the actual storyline of the game, although there is some information regarding downloadable content (DLC) that perhaps gives a few more things away.
Head on the Block also hinted that Persona 6 will have a lot of DLCs for customizing, one of which is the ability to fly. It’s claimed there will also be a DLC where players can control a female character in and outside dungeons.
What we do know is that Atlus has bold plans for Persona 6.
It’s widely tipped to be the biggest and best game of the franchise yet. According to Persona Central, Atlus posted a job recruitment page in 2017 which included interviews with Atlus staff alongside the listings.
In one of those interviews with the studio director, Naoto Hiraoka, he said the goal was to “create a [Persona] 6 which exceeds [Persona] 5” and that the reason behind the recruitment drive was because “exceeding 5 will be difficult with the current staff.”
That certainly points to some very big plans from Atlus to push the franchise’s boundaries even further. It is an interesting move considering Persona 5 is already considered to be the series’ most ambitious and biggest game to date.
Color scheme
The Persona franchise takes on a different color scheme with every release and is known for its striking, distinctive art style.
Persona 3 was primarily gothic blue, Persona 4 went with yellow and Persona 5 was red.
The belief with Persona 6 is that Atlus intends to go green, purely based on a leaked artwork image for the series’ 25th-anniversary event.
The image depicts a lineup up of all the lead characters throughout the series’ six mainline releases. The hint for Persona 6, according to fans, is the bucket of green paint on the floor next to Persona 5’s Joker.
Atlus leaker, Midori, via IGN, has fueled those rumors by claiming in April that “the color theme for Persona 6 is green.
There is of course no confirmation of this just yet, but things do appear to be adding up towards a green color scheme for Persona 6.
Platforms
It’s hard to know exactly what platforms Persona 6 will launch on without any official confirmation, but rumors are pointing towards a pretty big shift in Atlus’ intentions for the next addition to the franchise.
Previously, all mainline Persona releases have debuted exclusively on Playstation. That, though, may no longer be the case, according to IGN.
Perhaps the biggest hint that Atlus’ attitude towards Sony exclusivity has changed is the fact all of Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal were also released on PC, Xbox and Switch. Persona 3 Reload was also added to Xbox Game Pass at launch.
The franchise has become so popular that it could be that Atlus believes exclusivity to one platform on release no longer makes any sense, and allowing for a mainline release to be available across multiple platforms ensures a much larger reach of audience.
Midori, via GameRant, has also weighed in with these rumors by claiming Xbox will get Persona 6 at launch, as well as hinting that the Nintendo Switch 2 will also get it.
When will Persona 6 be released?
We don’t yet have a confirmed date of release for Persona 6 but a lot of information is pointing towards a 2025 release.
According to ComicBook, leaker Head on the Block has said on Reset Era that the game is 95% complete and will be released next year with DLC.
Meanwhile, others speculate we might see Atlus use The Game Awards in December 2024 as the perfect opportunity for the big Persona 6 reveal.
The Game Awards is both a celebration of the year’s gaming achievements and a chance to look ahead to future releases. Persona also has previously used the show as something of a launch event, when Persona 5’s Joker was revealed as a guest character in Super Smash Bros at the 2018 awards.
This naturally exposed the Persona franchise to a more mainstream audience and, with that particular announcement being well-received throughout the gaming community, you wouldn’t blame Atlus for wanting to do something similar this year.
Either way, it’s looking increasingly likely that we’ll see Persona 6 within the next 12 months.
How much will Persona 6 cost?
Persona 6 will likely launch with a $70 price tag.
Persona 3 Reload was priced the same when it launched earlier this year and while Persona 5 retailed at $60 in 2016, the cost of games has increased since then.
Featured Image: Atlus
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