Persona 3 Reload Still Unlikely to Include Female Protagonist from P3P

Persona 3 Reload: FeMC's Absence Explained

Atlus producer Kazushi Wada reiterates the unlikelihood of Persona 3 Portable's popular female protagonist (FeMC), Kotone Shiomi/Minako Arisato, appearing in Persona 3 Reload. This decision, revealed in a recent PC Gamer interview, stems from significant development challenges and budgetary constraints.

While initially considered, particularly during the planning stages of the post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer, integrating the FeMC proved too costly and time-consuming. Wada explained that including her, even as DLC, was deemed unfeasible within the current development timeframe.

Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 JRPG classic, launched in February. The omission of Kotone/Minako disappointed many fans, despite the game's faithful recreation of core features. Wada's statement leaves little room for optimism: "The more we discussed it, the more unlikely it became...The development time and costs would not have been manageable." He further clarified in a previous Famitsu interview that adding the FeMC would have required "several times longer" than the Episode Aigis DLC, presenting insurmountable hurdles.

The FeMC's popularity fueled fan expectations for her inclusion, either at launch or as post-release content. However, Wada's definitive statements effectively close the door on this possibility. The significant development investment required to add her surpasses the resources allocated to Persona 3 Reload.