Atlus made an astounding announcement in July 2021 to commemorate their magnificent 'Atlus 25th anniversary'. This year marks Persona's 25th anniversary, and Atlus has revealed that seven 'Persona 25' announcements will be made between July and Fall 2022. This created immense anticipation as fans speculated on the possibility of seven distinct game releases. To solidify this commemoration, the Persona 25 official website was launched earlier this year, making this anniversary celebration a reality.
Persona, a video game franchise created by Atlus and distributed by Sega, originally known as Shin Megami Tensei: Persona outside of Japan, revolves around a series of role-playing video games set in high school environments. Its key elements include a main cast of students, a silent protagonist akin to the Megami Tensei franchise's mainline, and Persona-based combat. The franchise gained popularity with the introduction of a social simulation element called Social Links in Persona 3 in 2006, intimately tied to the growth of Personas.
Designed by Kazuma Kaneko (Persona and Persona 2 duology) and Shigenori Soejima (Persona 3 onwards), the characters in the Persona series delve into the depths of the human mind and explore their true identities. The series incorporates elements from Jungian psychology, psychiatric personalities, psychics, tarot cards, and draws influences from religion, mythology, and literature.
Persona: Revelations marked the first Megami Tensei role-playing game to be distributed outside of Japan, establishing Atlus and the Megami Tensei franchise in North America. Following the releases of Persona 3 and 4, the series gained a significant fanbase in Europe. To date, the Persona series has sold over 15 million copies worldwide, outselling its parent franchise. It has been adapted into anime television shows, films, novelizations, mangas, stage plays, radio dramas, and musical performances.
Atlus released a video titled "Persona 25th Times Vol 1" on their official Japanese YouTube channel, featuring Morgana from Persona 5 as the ambassador for the 25th Anniversary campaign. The video revealed that all prior Persona anime series would be available for streaming in Japan, along with live-action adaptations of Persona 5. The announcement also included souvenir items and collaboration activities. Additionally, a distinct set of projects was mentioned for the western market.
The second announcement unveiled a 25th-anniversary special symphonic concert featuring iconic music from the Persona series. The two-stage concerts will take place at Tokyo Opera City Hall on November 21. Lyn, known for her contributions to the Persona series, was confirmed as one of the performers. The video further showcased Persona gaming merchandise and hinted at future announcements scheduled for December.
A collaboration event with Roll Ice Cream Factory took place on September 30, 2021. It featured Persona-themed coasters, acrylic stands, transparent files, can badges, a stainless steel tumbler, a face towel, and heat conduction spoons. An exclusive cooperation menu was also available during the collaboration period.
In honor of the event, Prime 1 Studio announced on September 30, 2021, that figurines based on the Persona characters would be released under their Cutie1+ line of figures. All of the numbers will be revealed by November 2022. Additionally, Persona VS, a card fighting game, will be launched in December 2021, according to an announcement made on October 11, 2021.
While the current announcements primarily focus on Japan, it is expected that future announcements will have a broader reach. Rumors and speculations suggest the development of various Persona-related projects, including the possibility of Persona 6, a Persona 3 remake, or a Persona 5 fighting game. Furthermore, there are speculations about website domains for unknown projects (P5AG.JP, 13C.JP, etc.). The potential for remasters or remakes of games like Persona 3 or the original two Persona games also adds excitement.
Although fans were anticipating video game-related announcements, the Persona anniversary celebration extends beyond that. While it may have been ideal to begin with video game-related news, the Persona anniversary still promises a plethora of surprises, with Persona 6 speculated to be in the works.
