Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance Is Releasing Sooner Than Expected

Game ZXC

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance

By Josh Tolentino

Published Mar 21, 2024

Highlights

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance release date moved up to June 14, 2024, a week earlier than planned, sparking fan excitement.
Definitive edition of SMT 5 features new storyline, Canon of Vengeance, updates to battle system, demon compendium, and soundtrack.
Atlus includes Denuvo DRM on PC version, despite user concerns, showing no sign of backing away from controversial decision.

Players looking forward to seeing Shin Megami Tensei 5 on PC and other platforms will have their wish granted a little bit sooner. Atlus has opted to move up the release date of Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance, the updated version of the original 2021 Shin Megami Tensei 5.

Though Atlus is more readily associated with Persona these days, the "main" Shin Megami Tensei franchise has been one of the longest-running major series in Japanese RPGs. Shin Megami Tensei 5 was a classic for fans of hardcore turn-based RPGs. It tells the story of an ordinary student transported to an alternative, apocalyptic version of modern Tokyo, where a titanic battle between the forces of angels and demons is taking place. Fused with a godlike being into the forbidden existence known as Nahobino, the protagonist must discover their power and prepare to define the fate of all existence.

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance Deluxe Edition Details Revealed

Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance goes up for pre-orders, with Sega and Atlus thus detailing the contents of its Deluxe Edition.

Shin Megami Tensei 5 Vengeance Release Date Updated

Atlus announced via its official website and social media channels that Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance will have its release date updated on all platforms. Instead of the originally planned June 21, 2024 date, the game will now come out on June 14, 2024. This puts it on digital and physical storefronts roughly a week earlier. Atlus did not state why such a decision was made, but the announcement sparked an appreciative reaction from fans. A few joked that Atlus is trying to put a bit of distance between its game and another major June release: The Shadow of the Erdtree DLC for Elden Ring, which is also dated for a June 21 debut.

Jokes aside, there's plenty to differentiate Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance from the games it shares a release month with. Atlus has said that Vengeance is the definitive edition of Shin Megami Tensei 5, and features an entirely new story path, called the Canon of Vengeance (the original story is called the Canon of Creation). The game will also field updates to the battle system and expansions of its demon compendium and soundtrack. Meanwhile, Atlus is also catering to fans on modern consoles and PC with graphical updates to take advantage of the better hardware found in those platforms. Back when it was a Switch exclusive, fans found that the Switch's hardware sometimes struggled to deliver consistent performance.

That said, the near future isn't entirely rosy for Shin Megami Tensei fans on PC. Atlus did confirm that Shin Megami Tensei 5: Vengeance will use the controversial Denuvo DRM solution on PC. Many PC users are suspicious of Denuvo, blaming it for performance problems in some titles. Atlus has shown no sign of backing away from its use of Denuvo, though, having incorporated it for over a dozen other PC ports of its games. PC gamers wanting Shin Megami Tensei 5 on their platform of choice will likely have to make their peace with that decision if they want the game.