Near the end of 2020, Atlus teased that it had big plans for its beloved RPG franchise Persona and that it would be revealing new projects meant to celebrate the series in 2022. That was perfectly appropriate, of course, because Persona reaches its 25th anniversary in 2021. The year started off strong with the worldwide release of one Persona spinoff, but then all went quiet again. Fans of the franchise have spent a great deal of time wondering if Atlus still has plans after all. At long last, Atlus has come forward with signs that indicate 2021 and 2022 will both be big years for Persona, and for Persona 5 in particular.
Persona 5 constantly gets credit for vastly increasing the franchise's popularity in the West. Considering the millions of copies that it's sold, there's definitely no contesting its popularity in the JRPG realm. That massive fanbase would be more than happy to see Atlus put more focus on the Phantom Thieves, the ragtag vigilante team of teenage social outcasts that Persona 5 fans quickly came to love over the course of the game. While Atlus mentioned that it's looking into Persona 6 in its recent announcements, it's also shown its hand in other ways. There's a ton of Persona products meant to get revealed over the course of the next year, starting in September. Atlus hasn't confirmed anything, but the sheer scope of the upcoming project list suggests that the Phantom Thieves will remain in the spotlight longer than expected.
The Possibilities of Persona 5 Spinoffs
A website for Persona's 25th anniversary teases a celebration for the RPG's birthday, which will kick of a year of announcements. It's no small pool of announcements, either. The website suggests that no less than seven Persona-related projects will be revealed between September 2021 and Autumn 2022 and statistically speaking, it's likely at least one of those projects will have something to do with Persona 5. Even if every previous Persona game gets a remake for this anniversary, there's still multiple slots for Persona 5-related adventures that keep the Phantom Thieves busy.
The question, then, is what kinds of spinoffs or other projects Atlus might want the Phantom Thieves to feature in. One likely choice is a Persona 5 fighting game, something that many fans believe was on the way because of certain website domains that Atlus owns. The mysterious 'P5U' could mean Persona 5 Ultimax is in development, a follow-up to Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, which allowed Persona 3 and Persona 4 characters to duke it out. Beyond that, though, the sky is the limit. Another previous Atlus domain called 'P5AG' might mean Atlus is looking at a Persona 5 spinoff starring Joker's rival, Goro Akechi. Alternatively, simpler but equally crucial projects could be on the way, like a Persona 5 port to PC.
Time is the biggest factor that determines what additional projects Persona 5 could get over the next year. If all of these projects are supposed to release in rapid succession, that suggests they aren't huge projects, because they've likely been developed alongside one another. In other words, a direct Persona 5 sequel that doesn't spin off into a new genre as Persona 5 Strikers did is unlikely. That also means smaller spinoffs aren't out of the question, though. If anything, Atlus' acknowledgement of the influence that Persona 5 has on the brand suggests that it's probably exploring the IP a little more while it starts planning Persona 6.
Persona 6 May Be Far Off
In fact, there's a small chance that the upcoming year of announcements won't even be the true end of the line for Persona 5. Atlus acknowledged Persona 6 in the midst of these announcements and confirmed that it's working on the game with the intention to surpass Persona 5 in quality. That's a high bar by any metric, and Atlus shared other details that suggest that Persona 6 isn't coming out anytime soon. For instance, the studio is looking to expand aggressively due to a belief that it'll need a much bigger team to make a Persona 6 that lives up to expectations. It also doesn't sound like many concrete parts are in place for Persona 6 right now. The game is much more in the planning stages, which suggests Persona 6 is many years away, rather than around the corner like some fans had hoped.
On the one hand, it's a little disappointing to hear that it'll be so long before Persona 6 releases. On the other, it's fantastic news for anyone who wanted Persona 5 to get more love. If Atlus isn't anywhere near finished with Persona 6, one of the most logical ways that it can keep fans entertained is by releasing more Persona 5 content in small doses. After all, the title appeals to newcomers and Persona veterans alike, so it has nothing to lose by getting a little more mileage out of the Phantom Thieves. With seven Persona projects on the way, odds look better than ever that that's exactly what Atlus is planning.
Persona 5's Show Goes On
Atlus once gave off the impression that Persona 5 Strikers marked the end in the Phantom Thieves' chapter of the franchise. Fans believed that the spinoff would be Persona 5's last hurrah, delving into Suddenly that's not so certain. Persona 6 isn't anywhere close to release and the celebration of Persona's 25th birthday is even more ambitious than expected. In fact, if Persona 6 really needs so much more support and planning to get off the ground, it might not even be a part of the coming year's announcement cycle, making more room for spinoffs, remakes, and ports that fans are waiting for.
Naturally, Persona 5 isn't the only one that benefits from the huge cluster of projects that Atlus is working on. For instance, Persona 3's chances at a remaster just skyrocketed, and the Persona games that came before that might also be on the table for remakes. However, Persona 5 is almost certainly the definitive winner. Atlus is clearly aware of Persona 5's popularity, which means it knows how much it has to game from making more Persona 5 products. For a while, fans weren't sure if 2021 would be a big year for Persona after all, but Atlus just readily dampened those doubts. There's no questioning now just how much is in store for Persona during the anniversary.
Persona 5 is available now for PS3 and PS4.