With Persona 3 Reload officially in the rearview mirror, our next major slice of Persona-branded high school student simulation and turn-based dungeon battles will come via a presumed Persona 6. But when exactly will we see this next Persona game? And what will it be?
In truth, we know very, very little right now, but that doesn't mean we can't take a look at some early rumours and comments from the teams over at Atlus regarding Persona's next mainline entry. So, let's run through all the brief bits of information we've learned so far about what's next for the series.
Persona 6 Isn't Confirmed Just Yet, but Atlus Wants to Make a New Entry
Although Atlus hasn't come out and officially confirmed that Persona 6 is on its way, the team has gone on record to confirm that there will be future additions to the franchise. Back in 2018, the Persona studio's chief director, Kazuhisa Wada, told Dengeki Playstation (later translated by Persona Central) that it was working on "mid-to-long term plans, including new numbered entries."
Since then, the company has alluded to the release of a new mainline entry several times, whether that's through job postings or hints that the company is working on something new. Although even without Atlus continuing to make clear that a sequel is in the works, it feels somewhat inevitable. Persona 5's sales recently crossed 10 million units and Persona 3 Reload became the fastest-selling game in Atlus' history this year, amassing a million copies sold in just one week. With recent entries pulling in record profits, it's hard to imagine Persona 6 isn't in the studio's future.
Persona 6 Doesn't Have a Release Date, But Leaks Suggest It Could Come in the Next Few Years
Considering we don't have an official reveal of Persona 6 just yet, there's very little to go off regarding how far along it is and when it will hit shelves. That being said, one prominent leak seems to imply we can expect the game in the next two years. Midori, A reputable insider who has shared multiple leaks pertaining to Atlus, SEGA and the Persona franchise in the past, shared on X that they'd heard the game will either launch in 2025 or 2026. They went on to claim that 2026 seems the most likely candidate, especially as the series' 30th anniversary falls within the same year.
As with any leak, it's worth taking the release window with a grain of salt until Atlus officially confirms anything, however, Midori has been a reliable source of information when it comes to early Persona news in the past. Considering Atlus has been rapidly releasing Persona content as of late, with Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5: The Phantom X's China-exclusive open beta all launching in the space of a year, the studio seems to be ramping up its output of Persona titles, so a new mainline release in the next few years feels pretty fitting.
There's a Very Good Chance Persona 6 Won't Be PlayStation Exclusive
Without an official Persona 6 reveal from Atlus, we don't currently have any firm information about the platforms the sequel will release on, but a major change in Atlus' attitude towards exclusivity could likely mean the next mainline release is the first to debut on multiple systems.
In the past, every mainline Persona game has debuted exclusively on PlayStation. However, Atlus' focus on Sony's systems has changed significantly in the past few years. Following the studio's decision to release Persona 3 Portable, Persona 4 Golden and Persona 5 Royal on PC, Xbox and Switch, it has trended towards releasing its major, tentpole titles on as many platforms as possible.
Persona 3 Reload was not only available on PS5, Xbox and PC when it hit shelves, but was added to Xbox Game Pass at launch. Meanwhile, the team's next major release, Metaphor ReFantazio, is slated to hit all major platforms bar the Switch this fall. With the team catering to a wider audience when releasing its biggest games, it seems Persona 6 could well be the first mainline entry to debut across a range of different platforms.
Atlus's Goal is to Have Persona 6 "Exceed" Persona 5
Although Persona has always had a large, loyal fanbase, Persona 5 was the game that launched the series into the stratosphere. From glowing reviews to millions of sales, it was a huge hit and is still considered one of the best RPGs of the modern era. However, Atlus is aiming to outdo it in their next game, and has even brought on a bigger team to ensure they do.
As spotted and translated by Persona Central, Atlus posted a job recruitment page back in 2017. Alongside listings for different roles within the company were interviews with staff at Atlus, including the studio's director: Naoto Hiraoka. In his interview, he claimed the team's goal was to "create a [Persona] 6 which exceeds [Persona] 5," and that the recruitment drive was imperative because "exceeding 5 will be difficult with the current staff." Considering Persona 5 was the team's biggest and most ambitious game yet, it'll be interesting to see what Atlus does to up the ante in the sequel.
The Game's Colour Scheme Will Allegedly Be Green
One of the major calling cards of a Persona game is its bold, attention-grabbing art style. Each game has its own take on the Persona aesthetic, usually themed around a specific colour. Persona 3 heavily featured a gothic blue, Persona 4 went for a more uplifting yellow and Persona 5 bathed itself in a chaotic red. For Persona 6, it seems the developers are aiming to add a splash of green to the franchise.
Once again taking a look at Atlus leaker Midori's recent tweets, they claimed in April that "The color theme for Persona 6 is green." Interestingly, the leak adds fuel to the fire of a long-running fan theory that started after Atlus posted some artwork for the series' 25th anniversary event. The image showed a lineup of all the lead characters throughout the franchise's six mainline games. Next to Joker from Persona 5, you can see a bucket filled with green paint.
Ever since the image dropped, fans were convinced the bucket confirmed that the next game would feature a green color-scheme, and if Midori's claims are true, it seems the theories were correct all along.
Callum Williams is a freelance media writer with years of experience as a game critic, news reporter, guides writer and features writer.
