Persona 6: Ex-Devs Reveal Key to Series' Future

Ever wonder what truly makes a Persona game tick? At a recent roundtable, former leads Katsura Hashino, Shigenori Soejima, and Shoji Meguro spilled the beans on the series' essence and what it means for Persona 6.

The trio, who worked on Persona 3, 4, and 5, spoke at The Tenth Mosaic festival. Hashino, the director, said the key ingredient is "chaos." He explained that when depicting adolescence, he avoids being too selective about what to include. That chaotic mix of high school drama and supernatural elements is what fans love.

But there's more. Soejima, the character designer, emphasized that "changing to reflect the times" is crucial. Each Persona game must evolve its setting and story to resonate with modern audiences. Atlus wants to avoid stagnation, drawing on contemporary society and culture to keep things fresh. And then, of course, adding that signature Persona flair.

Hashino also shared his thoughts on what an RPG should be today. With so much media competing for attention, he believes games must make an impact and not be "something fleeting" that could be replaced by watching TV. Instead, he wants fans to have "something to draw on as they go on to live their lives." That's a lofty goal, but it's what drives him.

He admitted his team hasn't fully realized that vision yet, but they're inspired to pursue it in future works. However, don't expect Hashino to helm Persona 6—he's now leading a different team at Atlus, most recently releasing Metaphor: ReFantazio. Still, his tenets give us a hint of what the next Persona could aspire to.

Whether the current Persona team follows these principles remains to be seen. But one thing's for sure: Persona 6's producer has said they don't want "to make games for the global market," only something "we ourselves genuinely find exciting." So expect a game made with passion, not just broad appeal.

What do you think Persona 6 needs to do to stand out? Will you be picking it up when it finally drops? Let us know in the comments!