The long-awaited release date of Persona 5 Royal has been confirmed alongside a special edition that will feature the oft-coveted Joker mask, one of the most iconic elements of the JRPG and one that fans have closely associated with the experience since it first launched. Persona 5 is developer Atlus’ 2016 PlayStation exclusive that immediately made itself known as one of the best in the genre for modern consoles while still supporting players who had the then-dated PlayStation 3, and it has since been successful enough to sustain an anime adaptation alongside several spin-offs.
Persona 5 Royal is the next step in that expanding content, and will give players a familiar experience with new additions. Chief among them will be the addition of Kasumi to the Phantom Thieves, a brand new playable character that didn’t exist in the first version of the title but will play a role in Persona 5 Royal as the new Faith Confidant and a party member. The game has also boasted of new story beats, dungeons, and more, making it an appealing pick-up for fans who couldn’t get enough of Persona 5 even though it also features a baked-in New Game+ mode that rewards players for their past progress.
Fans who weren’t convinced by the dearth of content available in Persona 5 Royal might be swayed by the game’s new special edition, called the Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves Edition. In that bundle, fans will be able to acquire a sought-after collector’s item in the form of Joker’s mask, alongside an art book and more bonuses for die-hard consumers. The Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves Edition and the rest of its versions will be hitting the west on March 31, 2020, as revealed by Atlus today in a Persona 5 Royal trailer on YouTube that focuses on the new experiences on offer.
Persona 5 Royal is set to further the universe of the Phantom Thieves even more, but it’s worth wondering if there’s anywhere to go for Atlus after this release. With fans getting basically everything they wanted out of the extras in Royal - especially the Phantom Thieves Edition Joker mask - it might be finally time to move on from one of the most successful titles in the Shin Megami Tensei/Persona stable of games. With Shin Megami Tensei V still in development and little to show for it after it was revealed years ago, there might be more in store for that title soon.
For now, though, Persona 5 Royal Phantom Thieves Edition is the kind of wish fulfillment that fans often want out of more pricey collector’s edition items. It’s also a continuation of Atlus’ strong track record with special editions - the original Persona 5 one featured a bag modeled after the high school that the Phantom Thieves attend in the game, and was also praised for how good it looked. Fans in the west will finally get a taste of Persona 5 Royal soon, and with any luck, there will be a lot of completed collections for fans looking for the perfect final piece of Persona 5 memorabilia.
Next: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Persona 5’s Joker Joins as DLC
Persona 5 Royal will arrive in the west for PlayStation 4 exclusively on March 31, 2020.
