The next generation of thePersonafranchise is seemingly on the horizon. Not long ago, Atlus confirmed that it’s starting work onPersona 6with ambitious intentions in mind for the game. There may not be many details aboutPersona 6yet, but the confirmation of its existence already defines the future ofPersonapublicity. Any future discussion of the franchise has a chance of containingPersona 6information. At the same time, though, Atlus has had lots of tricks up its sleeve lately, meaning the next bigPersonaannouncement could very well be a new spinoff, rather than a reveal for the next mainline game.
While it would definitely be exciting ifPersona 6was the next big release in thePersonafranchise, it may be better if Atlus prioritizes making a spinoff. For one thing, it could be more practical to emphasize aPersonaspinoff, given how long it could be beforePersona 6releases. For another thing, hype aroundestablishedPersonacharacters like the Phantom ThievesandPersona 4 Golden’s Investigation Team is high thanks to recent spinoffs and remasters, meaning these characters have the potential to keep the franchise afloat for a while yet. Atlus would be wise to tap intoPersona’s current potential to buy time for the franchise’s next core game.
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Cause for a Persona Spinoff
Atlus may have confirmed the development ofPersona 6,but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to release anytime soon. On the contrary,Atlus teasing work onPersona 6without revealing any details suggests that the game is in early stages. Atlus could’ve built a lot of hype by releasing concept art or a teaser trailer forPersona 6at the same time, but instead, it offered fans nothing. The lack of details may best be explained byPersona 6simply not being ready for a reveal. It may currently be in only fledgling development, meaning there could be a void ofPersonagames in the coming years that a new spinoff could fill.
A newPersonaspinoff would also be a great idea because excitement aroundPersonais so high. In the last few years, Atlus has released and rereleased some highly successfulPersonagames, whether they’re the sequel-like hack-and-slashPersona 5 Strikersor the PC release ofPersona 4 Golden.More broadly,the wide appeal ofPersona 5has increased the franchise’s audience drastically, creating more demand forPersonaproducts overall. Atlus' growing international audience creates a stronger market for creative newPersonaspinoffs than ever.
The matter of thePersonaanniversarycan’t be ignored either. Atlus clearly had a lot of plans for thePersonaanniversary, such as live-streamedPersona-themed concerts and a broad range of physicalPersonamerchandise, but these features have largely failed to satisfy fans who wanted an anniversary year full of game announcements. While Atlus would’ve been hard-pressed to release tons ofPersonagames in a year, there’s still good cause to at least announce a newPersonagame before the anniversary’s end so that it can end on a high note.Persona 6would be the ideal game to reveal within the anniversary, but ifPersona 6isn’t ready yet, then a newPersonaspinoff would be great to show off too.
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A Plethora of Persona Possibilities
Perhaps the best reason for a newPersonaspinoff ahead ofPersona 6’s release is simply the range of possibilities available to Atlus. The Phantom Thieves have proven themselves highly flexible thanks toPersona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers,andPersona 5: Dancing in Starlight,and they still have broad potential to grow. Simultaneously, games likePersona 4 GoldenandPersona 4 Arena Ultimaxkeep olderPersonacharacters relevant. Thanks to all of these recent games, Atlus has good cause to generate new spinoffs starringa broad range ofPersonacharacters.
For instance, rumors about a possiblePersona 5 Arenahave floated around for quite some time, and such a game would be a solid spinoff to add to thePersonafranchise beforePersona 5releases. Even if the game only included the broad range of Persona users featured inPersona 5, Royal,andStrikers,it would have access to a great variety of playable characters already.Persona 5 Arenacould also featureP4andP3characters, however, bringing the last three generations together before moving on to a new game.Persona 4 Arena Ultimaxat least establishes that Atlus and Arc System Works are still in touch, so maybe there’s hope for another collaboration.
Atlus could also considerPersonaspinoffs that take the franchise into new genres. For instance,aFire Emblem-inspired tactical RPGabout the Phantom Thieves and other Persona users could be very interesting, blending combat and character designs from the last severalPersonagenerations while applying them to an entirely different gameplay format.Persona 5 Strikershas proven thatPersonaprotagonists can thrive in all kinds of new genres, so if Atlus is interested in releasing a spinoff beforePersona 6,it would be wise to keep experimenting.
Change in the Persona Franchise
While newPersonaspinoffs in the coming years would be great, the likelihood of a plethora of new games seems hard to gauge. For one thing, it’s possible that Atlus will prioritizePersona 6above all else in the coming years, meaning there could be a lull in new gamesuntilPersona 6releases. For another, many of the recentPersonareleases have been ports or remasters of oldPersonatitles, potentially meant to cater to newPersonafans who haven’t had the chance to play previous generations yet. Whether Atlus prioritizes the development ofPersona 6or catching the growing fanbase up onPersonahistory, there are clear potential obstacles in the way of new spinoffs.
Nevertheless, Atlus should find room to make a new spinoff beforePersona 6if possible. While it would be great torelive classics likePersona 3,the franchise’s current state of change deserves to be celebrated too. The Phantom Thieves andPersona 5have contributed innovation and growth to the series in many forms, and that creative momentum deserves to be carried forward with additional spinoffs. Even if it’s short, a cleverPersonaspinoff would be a great addition to the franchise ahead ofPersona 6’s release.
