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, according to Wada, stems from significant development challenges and budgetary constraints.
High Costs and Development Time Rule Out FeMC
Wada, in a recent interview with PC Gamer, confirmed that while the inclusion of the FeMC was initially considered—even during planning for the post-launch DLC, Episode Aigis - The Answer—the project's scope and budget ultimately prevented her addition. The extensive resources required proved insurmountable.
Released in February, Persona 3 Reload is a full remake of the 2006 classic. Many fans were disappointed by the FeMC's absence, despite the game's faithfulness to other core elements. 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 that even DLC was not feasible within the current timeframe.
This echoes his previous comments to Famitsu, where he emphasized the significantly higher development time and cost compared to Episode Aigis, stating that including the FeMC would present "too high" hurdles. Despite the FeMC's popularity and fan expectations for her inclusion, either at launch or as post-release content, Wada's pronouncements effectively close the door on this possibility. The costs and time commitment simply outweigh the benefits.
