Persona dev says splitting the Atlus team to work on Metaphor: ReFantazio was "for the better" and will help the studio's future JRPGs stay "on the right track"

GamesJRPGPersonaMetaphor: ReFantazioPersona dev says splitting the Atlus team to work on Metaphor: ReFantazio was “for the better” and will help the studio’s future JRPGs stay “on the right track"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

GamesJRPGPersonaMetaphor: ReFantazioPersona dev says splitting the Atlus team to work on Metaphor: ReFantazio was “for the better” and will help the studio’s future JRPGs stay “on the right track"When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Atlus)

Metaphor: ReFantazio screenshot showing a woman with long, straight blonde hair holding onto a leather-bound brown book

As Atlus cracks on withMetaphor: ReFantazioto ensure its smooth release this fall, some are wondering what the new JRPG means for the future of thePersonaseries - and thankfully, it seems that it’s not compromised at all.

Speaking in an interview withGameSpot, Persona producer and P-Studio director Kazuhisa Wada explains why work on Metaphor is beneficial to Atlus' already established series. When the P-Studio team split to allow for the production of both Metaphor and Persona, questions arose among fans regarding the future - wouldPersona 6come to fruition one day despite a few of the longtime developers moving on to a new project?

Wada says yes - or at least that Persona is fine, if not better than before. “Many years ago, one of the issues we wanted to resolve as a company was to improve the development capacity of the organization. Fortunately, as of today, very talented young and mid-career people are steadily growing through projects likePersona 3 ReloadandPersona 5 Royal, so if we are asked about the impact on the future from here on, the answer can only be ‘for the better.'”

The producer continues, further detailing his thoughts on the future: “We game developers, myself included, have a number of issues that need to be resolved in response to the lengthy and expanded game development process. I believe that one of the most important things to do is to pass on the spirit of the game to the next generation. One of the most important things is to build an organization that allows that transition to happen naturally.”

If anything, the Persona series has actually grown, improving over time. As Wada states, internal reform has helped P-Studio. “In order to develop and maintain a sustainable, high-quality series of titles, I believe that the methodologies of organizational reform and generational change at that time were unavoidable and highly necessary.” Atlus can “point to the growth of the Persona series,” which is “the best proof we have that we are on the right track.”

He urges fans to stay positive about the future and to have “greater expectations” for both the Metaphor devs and those still working on Persona: “We would be very happy and encouraged if you all have even greater expectations of both us and the games we produce in the future, so please keep up the good work.” It sounds to me like Persona 6, when it happens eventually, will exceed its predecessors - and I can’t wait to play it and Metaphor both.

Read ourMetaphor: ReFantazio previewto find out why we’re already obsessed.

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1

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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”

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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”

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3

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4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”

4

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5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”

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5

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1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”

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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”

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2

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Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”

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