Joker Crashes the Party in Persona 3 Reload, Proving That Atlus Can’t Let Persona 5 Go
Atlus had something to announce at Gamescom 2024, and it was once again not anything related to Persona 6.
- Persona 5 keeps coming back into the lives of the fanbase as Atlus brings Joker into its latest installment.
- The Phantom will join Persona 3 Reload as a DLC boss in its upcoming Episode Aigis expansion.
- While Persona 3 and 5 have been getting a lot of attention in recent times, Persona 6 is still a mystery.
Ever since the fifth mainline, and arguably the most popular, game in the series was initially launched nearly eight years ago, things have never been the same for Persona fans, as publisher Atlus just can’t seem to let its unprecedented fame go even in 2024. As the extremely long wait for any kind of update regarding a proper continuation to the story and the next installment keeps growing with each passing year, at least the fanbase keeps getting remade versions of previous titles in the franchise.
It happened last year with the Tactica rendition of Joker’s adventures, and it took place once again a few months ago when Persona 3 Reload completely revamped the third mainline entry from 2006, but with its recent Gamescom 2024 announcement, it is becoming increasingly clear that Atlus will do absolutely anything other than revealing any details about the highly anticipated Persona 6.
Persona 3 Reload Gets a Trailer for Episode Aigis, Bringing Back a Familiar Face
At this point, every Megami Tensei fan is probably aware of who Ren Amamiya is, who is much better known as his code name Joker, as he has been a constant presence in the franchise since his debut all the way back in 2016.
During Gamescom 2024 Opening Night Live, Atlus made a quick appearance to announce the release date of Episode Aigis for its Persona 3 remake that was launched earlier this year in February, and naturally, the arrival of Joker in the Reload DLC proved to be an instant highlight of the trailer.
It turns out that The Phantom himself will host his own boss battle to bring a new challenge for the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad (S.E.E.S.), continuing the series tradition of main characters from certain entries making their way into others as guest bosses.
While fans have been questioning the timeline that Atlus is seemingly following to even make Ren’s arrival feel like a natural addition, his own headlined title brought back protagonists from Persona 3 and 4 as Challenge Battles, which now makes it Joker’s time to return the favor.
The DLC Announcement Shatters Any Hopes of Hearing Anything About Persona 6 This Year
Atlus has been keeping things really quiet regarding the existence of Persona 6, but at the same time, it keeps bringing back Persona 5 in some shape or form, ranging from a rhythm-based spinoff to a tactical RPG.
However, it seems like fans will have to keep holding their breath to hear anything about the next mainline installment, especially considering that the developers are focused on expanding Persona 3 Reload as much as possible until they finally move on to their next project.
Of course, with Metaphor: ReFantazio slated for release in just a couple of months on October 11, many members of the Persona team have had their time dedicated to the upcoming role-playing game.
With Episode Aigis launching on September 10 and Metaphor releasing just over a month later, perhaps the Megami Tensei fanbase will actually get a much-needed update before 2024 comes to an end, but until the next major gaming event like The Game Awards in December, it is unlikely that Persona 6 will get the attention it rightfully deserves.
