You saw it coming: Persona 3 and Persona 5 Tactica officially revealed

By George Yang Published June 11, 2023

Atlus revealed Persona 3 Reload, a remake of the 2006 Persona 3 game, as well as Persona 5 Tactica, a strategy game title, during the Xbox Games Showcase.

Persona 3 Reload — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The former is set for an early 2024 release, while the latter will launch on November 17. Both games will be included in Xbox Game Pass. Persona 3 Reload is a full remake in the style of Persona 5, while Persona 5 Tactica is a tactics-like game with Chibi-like cartoon graphics similar to the Persona Q and Q2 games released for Nintendo 3DS.

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The reveal trailer shows the main cast, including protagonist Makoto Yuki, fighting against dark Shadow enemies throughout the tower of Tartarus. However, the female protagonist, who was included in Persona 3 Portable, was not shown in the trailer. There was also no mention of The Answer, a playable epilogue in the enhanced Persona 3 FES version from 2007, so it’s unclear whether these two features of the game are in Reload.

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While these are pretty exciting reveals, they aren’t exactly unexpected ones. The Persona 3 remake leaked in April, but the accompanying footage from a supposed internal Sega Japan meeting wasn’t verified at the time. Domains p3re.jp and p5t.jp also appeared, with the former referring to Persona 3 Reload and the latter to Persona 5 Tactica. Earlier this week, Atlus accidentally leaked both reveal trailers on its Instagram page ahead of the Xbox Games Showcase, but deleted them shortly thereafter.

In January, Atlus released Persona 3 Portable for PC, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One, so you’ll still be able to play the old version of the game if you aren’t interested in the remake. There’s nothing else in the Persona series quite like Tactica, though, so that’s a title to keep an eye on. Both Persona games announced today will be on Xbox Game Pass when they launch, but are also expected to release for PlayStation and Nintendo platforms.

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George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…

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Persona 5 Tactica is making the tactics genre more approachable than ever

Gameplay from Persona 5 Tactica

After being a beloved series in the RPG community for almost 15 years, Persona 5 finally launched the wider Persona franchise into the mainstream in 2017 thanks to its over-the-top, slick, and stylish presentation. Since then, developer Atlus has tastefully built off that success. We’ve received an updated version of Persona 5 with its Royal edition, Joker joined the fight in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and the Phantom Thieves starred in a variety of spinoffs that dipped into the action-RPG and rhythm game genres. Now, the Persona 5 crew is taking on the tactics genre in the fittingly titled Persona 5 Tactica.

While my PAX West demo of Persona 5 Tactica was brief and did not contain any story content, it still showed me how the strategy game is making itself approachable for casual players in a way that’s not so different from what Persona 5 did for RPGs so many years ago.
New genre, same strategy
I love tactics games, but I’m admittedly not very good at them. I almost always enjoy a good challenge, but the genre tends to be heavy on complex management that can leave me overthinking every choice. Battles can be long and slow too, so if I end up losing, I feel like I lost a lot of time. That said, I love the strategy behind many tactics games, which usually lets me push past that friction.

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If you've been patiently waiting for Baldur's Gate 3 to arrive on PlayStation 5 while PC players got an early start, you won't have to wait much longer, unlike Xbox players. By now you don't need us to tell you just how amazing this game has shaped up to be, and are more than likely already prepared with your choice of character and just waiting for the green light to finally dive into this massive CRPG. But if your excitement has gotten the better of you and you don't know exactly when Baldur's Gate 3 will be ready to play, how to preload, or even if you can get in on the game a little early, we've got you covered.
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Persona 3 Reload will release during a surprisingly packed February 2024

A character uses a bow and arrow in Persona 3 Reload.

Atlus announced when players will finally be able to get their hands on the Persona 3 Reload remake, and it's coming out during what's currently looking like a surprisingly packed month for new game releases.
Persona 3 Reload — Meet the S.E.E.S. Trailer | Xbox Game Pass, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC
Specifically, Persona 3 Reload will launch on February 2, 2024, which is less than three months after strategy game spinoff Persona 5 Tactica. The release date was revealed at the end of a new trailer that introduces the main cast of the JRPG, who make up the Specialized Extracurricular Execution Squad, or S.E.E.S. All in all, it looks like Reload is really shaping up to be a faithful remake of the original version of Persona 3, which first released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2006.
That February 2 release date makes Persona 3 Reload one of 2024's first major game launches, but also places it in a month that's getting surprisingly crowded with games now that the early 2024 game release calendar is taking shape a bit more. It will launch just one day after Granblue Fantasy: Relink, another long-awaited RPG from a Japanese studio that just got a release date at Gamescom Opening Night Live.

Games like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Nightingale, and Homeworld 3 are also expected to come out in February, and the month's release lineup will probably only continue to beef up as it gets closer. Although not quite as crowded as this October, which is ridiculously packed with games, February 2024 could end up being one of the busiest months for the video game industry next year.
Persona 3 Reload launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on February 2, 2024.